Chicago Bears place G Kyle Long on IR due to nagging hip injury

Oct. 14 (UPI) -- The Chicago Bears placed Pro Bowl right guard Kyle Long on injured reserve, the team announced Monday.

Long was moved to injured reserve due to a nagging hip injury, according to the team. Bears head coach Matt Nagy said the veteran offensive lineman isn't a candidate to return from IR later in the season.

"It's a tough situation just because of what he's been going through and where he's at," Nagy told reporters Monday. "That's where it's at right now. He's always been really good to us and what he's done. We just felt like that was where he's at right now and it's what we wanted to do."

Nagy said the injury was a result of "wear-and-tear" and the decision to place Long on injured reserve was "collaborative."

"He understands," Nagy said. "We do all of this together. When we go through this stuff, he wants to be able to be healthier. It's just where we're at. It's something that's been nagging him. It's nothing that's crazy significant, but it's at the point where that's what we need to do."

Long, 30, has landed on injured reserve in each of the last four seasons. He managed to return in Week 17 last season and started in the Bears' wild-card loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Long, who was healthy enough to participate in the Bears' off-season program and training camp, sustained a hip injury during practice before a game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 29. He was ruled inactive for the matchup, but returned to the lineup against the Oakland Raiders on Oct. 6.

The Bears selected Long in the first round (No. 20 overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft out of Oregon. He missed only one game over his first three seasons in the league, but has since appeared in only 30 regular-season games dating to 2016.

Long, who took a pay cut in the off-season, is under contract through 2020. He has no guaranteed money remaining on his contract and is due a $2 million roster bonus on the third day of the 2020 league year.