Playing through shoulder pain, how RB Jordan Howard gave Bears ‘juice’

One day after Jordan Howard ran for 138 yards, the Bears marveled at how he did it with an injured right shoulder.

“Usually you’d be like, ‘Dude, go to the sideline, you’re not OK,’” guard Kyle Long said Monday. “But there’s nobody tougher than Jordan Howard.”

It made Long want to gut through his first game since last year’s ankle surgery. He joked that there were side bets about how Long he’d last. He played every snap, inspired by Howard.

“They call it juice,” Long said. “When a guy like that walks in the huddle you’ve got some juice.”

Long said he was sore, but it beat not playing. He spoke with his dad, Hall of Famer Howie Long, who told his son that was one thing he missed from his playing days.”

“Being sore after a game,” Kyle Long said, “feeling like you’ve done something.”