Word of a four-year extension for Bears guard Kyle Long broke over the weekend and the Bears confirmed the deal in an official announcement on Wednesday.
The Bears announced that Long is now signed through the 2021 season, which means the extension will kick in after the 2017 season. Long is playing his fourth year in 2016 and will play the 2017 season under the terms of the team option that the Bears exercised on his rookie contract.
“Kyle is extremely talented, a great teammate and more than deserving of this contract,” General Manager Ryan Pace said in a statement. “He is a big piece of the foundation we are building and we only expect him to continue to get better. We are excited to announce this long-term commitment to Kyle.”
Long’s extension is reportedly worth up to $40 million over the life of the contract. He’s scheduled to make $8.821 million under the terms of the 2017 option.
With Josh Sitton signing a three-year deal in Chicago last weekend and Long signed for an even longer period, the Bears should have the guard spot under control for the near future.