Chicago Bears reward OG Kyle Long with $40 million contract extension

The Chicago Bears are in good shape from a salary cap perspective heading into 2016, and on Saturday, amidst the flurry of roster moves, the team announced they have signed Pro Bowl offensive lineman Kyle Long to a significant contract extension.

His rookie contract was outlined as follows, per Rotoworld:

5/17/2013: Signed a four-year, $8,300,952 contract. The deal included a $4,417,056 signing bonus. 2016: $777,158, (+ $759,790 roster bonus due in March), 2017: $8.821 million, 2018: Free Agent

On Saturday, the Bears signed him to a 4-year extension, worth $40 million with $30 million guaranteed.

This makes Long a Chicago Bears though at least the 2021 season.

For someone like wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, this sets a great example of what production can do for players' checkbooks and long-term security.

Congratulations to Kyle Long, and kudos to the Chicago Bears for taking care of one of their own.

Click HERE for the latest details on the Chicago Bears roster cuts.

UPDATE: The Bears actually waited until today (September 7) to officially announce Long's new deal, and here's what GM Ryan Pace had to say, "Kyle is extremely talented, a great teammate and more than deserving of this contract. 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."