CHICAGO — Kyle Long got off a shaky flight from Richmond, Va., when he saw the news that the Chicago Bears had traded for receiver Keenan Allen.
“When I landed, I texted my wife and said I thought I was gonna die on this plane because the turbulence was so bad,” Long said to me last week. “And then I got a notification that said Keenan Allen to the Bears and I said I’m glad I’m not dead because this is something I want to see.”
Yes, the team where wide receivers go to die is now the team where receivers are giving people a reason to live.
Long was so fired up about the trade that when he got settled in his Chicago hotel room, he started watching film … of college linemen and pass rushers. He was looking for players the Bears could draft with the No. 9 pick now that they filled their No. 1A receiver position. He couldn’t sleep, but he could dream.
This research wasn’t to prepare for his jobs at CBS, Barstool Sports or the Green Light podcast. In some ways, Long is a lot like the rabid Bears fans who used to cheer him on.
“I just love this team,” he said.
When he talks about the Bears, Long, who played for the Bears for seven seasons, says “we,” and he wants to be more than a talking head discussing their wins and losses.
“It’s why I say ‘we,’” he…
