Chicago Bears legend Kyle Long, who now works as an analyst for CBS Sports Network, did a media opportunity today for Super Bowl LV, and during the session he gave his take on what he thinks his former team will do at the quarterback position. Once again he pointed out how the Bears didn’t even bother scouting Deshaun Watson at all ahead of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Long didn’t sound optimistic about Watson finally landing with the Bears this offseason, and he thinks it will be Nick Foles’ team. The former OL also said he thinks Mitch Trubisky will be heading out, and he provided a potential destination for the much maligned signal caller.
Listen from 49 seconds to 59 seconds if you want to hear @Ky1eLong subtly (or not so subtly) body slam Ryan Pace while talking to @AdamSchein. #Bears https://t.co/Fo4nTRe3lF
— Bill Zimmerman (@BillTZimmerman) February 2, 2021
(For part two with Kyle Long, go here)
Long was asked who he thinks the Bears QB will be next season, and for his take on the George McCaskey season ending press conference, in which it was indicated that no major changes will be made.
“I think they will not be able to get done what they want at the quarterback position in the draft,” said Long. “I think it’s going to be Nick Foles with a full offseason behind him, being the starting quarterback.
“Obviously, I think Mitch goes elsewhere, I would love to see him in a starting role, perhaps a backup role in San Francisco, I think he’d benefit greatly from a Kyle Shanahan coached team.”
Regarding the McCaskey presser, he said that he has the utmost respect for the family, and added that:
“They gave me the opportunity to play the game that I love and they paid me handsomely to do it. I think when you put the head of the team out in front of the media to speak on some of the deficiencies in the coaching position, potentially some of the roster spots- that’s a tough spot to be in, as the owner of a football team.
“Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace, in their comments, clearly they understood that they were being let off the hook, and they get another shot at it with the Bears, and I hope they find a way to win.”
Regarding the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes, Kyle Long didn’t say anything that sounded optimistic about the Bears ultimately emerging as the eventual winner.
The question was framed in a very interesting manner. The reporter first brought up all the African-American coaches on staff at the two teams playing in this year’s Super Bowl, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The reporter then asked a two part question- stating that Watson would be a perfect fit in Chicago, does he think the Bears will finally pull the trigger on getting the deal done this time?
“Let’s hope that people can learn from their mistakes, I remember when Ryan Pace and his entire offensive staff went to the Clemson Pro Day, they didn’t speak to Deshaun Watson, and it’s been the bane of their existence ever since,” Long said.
“If I’m DeShaun Watson, I want to go somehwhere where I feel loved, respected, welcome in the locker room and I feel comfortable.”
Long then proceeded to praise the acumen and relatibility of those two respective coaching staffs, and the entertainment value that Watson provides as a player, given his potential to dominate games. However, Long didn’t say anything more about the prospects of the Houston Texans signal caller becoming a Bear this offseason.
As for the second part of the reporter’s question, well it was an old song that’s become “a standard” now- why is the Bears’ history of quarterbacking so bad? Long hit the pass option on that query, and honestly, who can blame him?
The Zoom session itself was about 45 minutes long, and there is just too much ground to cover on that topic, despite the fact that it has been widely discussed already.
If you want a great, concise, but at the same time detailed analysis of Chicago Bears quarterbacking ineptitude, I strongly suggest you check out this thread by Matt Eurich of CBS Sports. You can also check out this second Twitter thread of his, which compares the Bears signal caller history against the other teams in the division.
We can say the same things about Trubisky that we did about Jay Cutler- he REALLY holds that MANY Bears passing records?
He’s THAT high on the list of various Bears passing records?
Seriously?
Yes, and yes, because the Bears QB history is…well, you already what it is, unfortunately.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.