Reports swirled last week that the Chicago Bears had agreed to a new contract with offensive lineman Kyle Long, and the team finally confirmed the extension on Wednesday morning.
The deal for Long is a four-year one that will keep him in a Bears uniform through the end of the 2021 season, the team announced.
The Bears did not disclose financial details of the deal, but according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the contract checks in at $40 million, with approximately $30 million of that money guaranteed for the 2013 first round draft pick.
“Kyle is extremely talented, a great teammate and more than deserving of this contract,” Bears G.M. Ryan Pace said in a statement. “He is a big piece of the foundation we are building and we only expect him to continue to get better. We are excited to announce this long-term commitment to Kyle.”
Long, taken with the 20th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, has made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons with the Bears. He began his career as a right guard that season, and made a brief change to right tackle for the 2015 season. He will move back to guard full-time for the 2016 season, with new teammate Josh Sitton lining up as the left guard on the Bears’ new-look offensive line.
