Kyle Long on playing his brother Chris in the playoffs: 'On Sunday, we're not related'
Chris and Kyle Long haven’t talked all week ahead of their family reunion of sorts at Soldier Field this Sunday.
Kyle, the Chicago Bears offensive lineman, will play host to his older brother Chris, the Philadelphia Eagles defensive end, for their opening round playoff game on Sunday afternoon.
And while the game will mark a special moment for the two brothers — few ever get the chance to play against family in a NFL playoff game — Kyle isn’t going to be searching for his brother come game time.
“Unfortunately, I’m playing against my family this week,” Kyle told the NFL Network. “You’ve got to look at it as just another dude out there. He kind of looks like me, possibly, but on Sunday, we’re not related, so I’ve got to focus on my job.”
Kyle, who has spent six seasons with the Bears, is obviously joking about the last part. However that’s not a bad way for him to think ahead of his first career playoff game and Chicago’s first playoff game since 2010.
It didn’t take long for Chris to see his comments, either — and he decided to bring his son into the mix.
The little “joke” wasn’t funny to my 2 year old son, Waylon who saw this on his timeline and was devastated. Said Uncle Kyle has been “cancelled.” https://t.co/hUrZ0oP9oR
— Chris Long (@JOEL9ONE) January 4, 2019
Chris — who has been in the league since 2008 and has won back-to-back Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and Eagles — did have a serious take on Sunday’s game, however.
He knows it’s going to be hard on his parents — especially his dad, NFL Hall of Famer Howie Long, who is turning 59 on Sunday.
“Man, it’s probably going to be pretty crazy for them,” Kyle told the Chicago Sun Times. “It’s gonna be a fun birthday for them. I don’t think my mom will be able to watch. She’ll be there, but she’ll probably have her eyes covered the whole time. They love their kids. They’re going to be happy to be here. I think everybody’s just happy.”
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