Bears Pro Bowl guard Kyle Long will have surgery to repair a ligament in his injured right ankle next Monday, coach John Fox said. Long suffered the season-ending injury in last week’s 36-10 loss to the Buccaneers in Tampa.
Long will have surgery to repair a torn labrum he suffered in the preseason “in the distant future,” Fox said.
Veteran Ted Larsen replaced Long for Sunday’s 22-16 loss to the New York Giants.
The Bears returned home from the Giants game with more injury issues. Tight end Zach Miller is likely out for the season with a broken foot. Left guard Josh Sitton re-injured his right ankle. Linebacker Leonard Floyd was hospitalized after suffering a neck injury, but returned home with the team — his status for Sunday’s game is undetermined. Cornerback Cre’Von LeBlanc left the game in the first half and was being evaluated for a concussion.
With Miller and Sitton out, the Bears were shut out in the second half for the third time this season. After gaining 214 yards on 31 plays (6.9 avg.) in the first half, the Bears gained 101 yards on 28 plays (3.6 avg.) in the second half.
“A lot is put on play calling,” Fox said. “Losing Zach Miller took us out of a personnel group that had been a little more successful in the first half, which we weren’t able to have in the second half because we only had three tight ends up and we lost one. There’s a three-tight-end package we used in the first half that wasn’t available in the second half.”
