There isn’t a rule about not messing with Kyle Long. There should be though. This guy has never been one to mess with. Every bit of 6’6 and over 300 lbs with an athletic pedigree bestowed on him by his Hall of Fame father Howie Long. Nevermind the fact he grew up in an environment where he was taught it’s okay to fight in defense of yourself or your brothers. That is why the veteran guard isn’t going to back down from anybody.
He’s thrown his weight around in fights plenty of times during his career. It doesn’t matter if it’s in a game against opponents or practice against teammates. Hell he even entered a scuffle during the 49ers game last year without the benefit of a helmet or pads. This guy cares not for protection. He’ll sacrifice his body if need be. It would seem one unlucky Bears defender found that out the hard way.
During a rare night practice on Wednesday, head coach Matt Nagy decided to run a simulated game. It featured the #1 offense against the #1 defense in 60 plays in actual game conditions. Needless to say, things got physical. So much in fact that Long exploded on Bears rookie Jalen Dalton that saw punches thrown. Then the veteran took it up a notch.
Kyle Long did not please his head coach with the stunt
This is the second nasty fight the Bears have had in as many days. A surefire sight the training camp fatigue is finally starting to wear on them. That doesn’t make head coach Matt Nagy any less displeased about it. He was clearly disappointed by what happened. No doubt believing Long needs to rise above such issues being one of the veteran leaders on the team. That clearly why Long wasn’t allowed to participate in the rest of practice.
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While the incident is unlikely to linger beyond 24 hours, it’s a reminder that this team is ready for the season to start. They’re tired of playing each other every day and nerves are starting to fray dangerously. It’s an unfortunate byproduct this time of year. One thing is for sure. Dalton deserves credit for having the guts to take on Long like that. Either that or he had no idea what he was getting into until it was too late.
The Bears will certainly be glad when their nasty guard can start taking those frustrations out on opponents.
