Few guys try to stay positive on the Chicago Bears more than Kyle Long. The former three-time Pro Bowl guard gave his body to the organization for seven seasons before injuries took the best from him. Since then, he has watched the team stumble back into obscurity, trying to regain a winning edge that has eluded them for over a decade. It was hoped that head coach Matt Eberflus would bring back a lot of the same qualities that the franchise had with Lovie Smith. However, it has become apparent to Long that similar styles don't always mean similar leaders.
There have been plenty of instances where it seemed like Eberflus was out of his depth before last Sunday in Arizona. The multiple late-game collapses in 2023 are one example. There was the mishandling of the final two plays in the Hail Mary loss to Washington. However, what sealed it for Long was the comments Eberflus made at the end of the first half against the Cardinals. That was when he knew the Bears were cooked.
Kyle Long understands the player's perspective.
He's played with several different head coaches in his career, from Marc Trestman to Andy Reid. He knows what it looks like when a guy loses the locker room. Trestman certainly did. Matt Nagy did. It appears Eberflus is falling into the same trap. He doesn't have answers or solutions to what the Bears are trying to do. Players don't need long to realize that. It is easy to become deflated when it becomes clear the head coach can't help them. Guys lose focus and stop going 100%. They go through the motions. Kyle Long sees that happening now. The amount of pressure on Eberflus must be immense. If he can't pull out a win against the Patriots on Sunday? His fate will be sealed with the season barely half over.
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