After being plagued by injuries for three years, Long believed he would have close to his best form. Then he found out it wasn't there anymore. Long struggled with a hip injury and was shut down on injured reserve after five games. It marked the end of his time with the Bears.
"Unfortunately to me, being on injured reserve is not something I'm new to," Long said. "Being on it previous years, it gave me an understanding of how lonely it can be and how tough it can be as a football player. When you're healthy in the NFL, there's not much better. And when you're not healthy, there's not much worse.
"I just found that it was time for me to amicably figure out a way to end it with the Bears. I thought that they did right by me for so many years -- by drafting me, by re-signing me, by keeping me around. They saw what I saw. The writing was on the wall. We found a way to do it the right way. That's why you'll never see me wear another jersey.
"I could take a year off, get healthy and go back into football, but I have no intention of doing that. It's time to live life. It's like I just got out of college and I got to figure out what the heck to do with my life."
A three-time Pro Bowl player with the Bears, Long played in 77 games over his seven seasons. Chicago drafted him in the first round in 2013, and he immediately became a starter on the offensive line.
Long is still working through his plans for retirement but hopes to remain part of the Bears organization in some form.
"I won't wear another jersey, and I won't have a helmet on again," Long said.