Former Bears OL Kyle Long Says He Didn't Retire Even Though He Announced His Retirement

Former Bears offensive lineman Kyle Long sparked some serious confusion on Monday. When replying to a fan on Twitter, he argued that he did not actually retire from the NFL, but was instead fired. However, this comes just over five months after Long formally announced his retirement, leading to speculation about drama within the Bears organization and a possible return.

Long tweeted Monday morning about how he's enjoyed playing golf, and a fan asked if it had anything to do with his early retirement. Long offered a surprising reply, suggestig that leaving the Bears was not his choice -- and that he may be considering a return.

A cursory look at Long's Twitter history shows that Monday's statement was a contradiction. On Jan. 5, the star lineman announced that he was "stepping away" from football and thanked the city of Chicago. He then comforted a fan upset about his retirement, pointing out that he was able to spend his entire career with the Bears organization.

While Long's Monday tweet is not entirely true in the context of his previous statements, it raises some questions about his departure. For one, it seems to place the blame on Bears leadership, implying that the end of his seven-year tenure with the team was in some way forced.

Long then directly called out Matt Nagy's coaching staff, stating that he would only return to the Bears if a new staff was in place.

While Long retired in January, it appears that his hiatus could be short-lived. His Monday tweet floated the possibility of a comeback with another team (the Jets are reportedly interested), and his later tweet all but confirmed that issues with the Bears coaching staff forced his decision. However, it is inaccurate for Long to argue that he was "fired," as he was never released by the Bears.