Chicago Bears boosted by return of Kyle Long from injured reserve

The Chicago Bears activated offensive guard Kyle Long from injured reserve on Saturday, just over two months after he suffered a right foot injury.

Long is eligible to play in Chicago's Week 17 game against the Minnesota Vikings.

The 30-year-old left the Bears' 24-10 win over the Jets on October 28 with an injury head coach Matt Nagy originally feared could be season-ending.

Nagy said Friday he will decide on Sunday how much work three-time Pro Bowler Long will get.

"I feel pretty good with him playing most of the game," Nagy said, per the Chicago Sun-Times.

"But we've just got to kind of see if that's where we're at and if it is a pitch count. I think a lot of that, honestly, is going to be more so when you're in the game: How's he feeling? If he's feeling good, keep him going."

The NFC North champion Bears (11-4) are headed to the playoffs for the first time since they won the division in 2010.

They could earn a first-round bye Sunday with a win and a loss by the Los Angeles Rams, while the Vikings (8-6-1) need a win or a loss by the Philadelphia Eagles to make the playoffs as a wild card.

In Long's absence, Bryan Witzmann has started at guard. Witzmann played for the Chiefs in 2016 and 2017, when Nagy was with Kansas City.

The Bears waived quarterback Tyler Bray to make room on the roster for Long.