The Chicago Bears will once again be without one of their most important players on Sunday, as Kyle Long did not travel with the team to Tampa Bay.
Long, who underwent offseason surgery and missed most of training camp with an ankle injury, was limited at practice throughout the week, but his ankle still is not healthy enough for him to play against the Buccaneers.
The lineman suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the Bears’ game against the Buccaneers last season. The injury limited him to just eight total games played in 2016, and he has not played a single snap since.
The Bears will likely use Tom Compton at left guard again on Sunday as they face the Buccaneers. They could also potentially shift Cody Whitehair to left guard and have Hroniss Grasu play center, but the team won’t announce the lineup until close to game time.
