Bears Place Kyle Long, Mitch Unrein On IR

As expected, the Bears have placed right guard Kyle Long on injured reserve. Defensive end Mitch Unrein has also been shut down for the year. Kyle Long

On Tuesday morning, coach John Fox indicated that this was a likely outcome for Long. It’s undoubtedly a frustrating end to the year for the veteran. Last year, he suffered a painful leg injury in the eighth game of the season. This time around, it’s a shoulder malady that will keep him from the field in the final month of the season.

Unrein was starting for the Bears at defensive end, so they’ll have to turn to reserves Jonathan Bullard and Roy Robertson-Harris for support. The Bears are also expected to add a bookend to the mix.

In 12 games this year, Unrein recorded 31 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Pro Football Focus, which has Unrein listed as an interior defender, gives him a career-high 83.9 score for his work this year. That’s good for No. 29 among all interior defenders.

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