Jeff Dickerson, ESPN Staff Writer 7y

Bears LG Kyle Long pushing to return Week 3

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – A training camp setback ruined Chicago Bears guard Kyle Long’s chances of returning from right ankle surgery in time to play Week 1, but the prospects of Long returning for Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh are encouraging.

“You can’t put any guarantees on it yet but as I said the previous weeks I’ve felt a lot better,” Long said on Wednesday. “So, I think it’s going to be a great opportunity this week to figure out where I’m at.”

Long hasn’t appeared in a regular season game since he suffered a gruesome ankle fracture in Tampa on Nov. 13, 2016.

The subsequent ankle surgery and recovery process was arduous as Long built up strength in his right leg.

“That’s been the really difficult part just because I went down to ... it was just bone really on my right calf and ankle and stuff,” Long said. “You could see all the bones and it was just sunken in. So trying to develop that strength back and get my balance, they’ve done a really great job here.”

But Long made the situation worse by rushing back too soon in training camp.

“I was just trying to go and do stuff when I knew I couldn’t do it,” Long said. “And yeah, there’s a process and you have to check all the boxes before you move on.

“I was going to be ready to go during training camp and I tried to do some stuff and I think I went a little fast. So back to the patience. It’s like when you have your two pilots at the front of your plan and they’re going through all their checklists preflight. The last thing you want to do is have a guy who just gets in and turns the engine on and says let’s go. You want to make sure everything is checked off before you go down the runway.”

Last week, Long practiced on a limited basis, but the plan is for him to gradually do more leading up to the Steelers game.

Barring another setback, Long could be cleared for takeoff in Week 3.

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