Kyle Long finally got his first taste of the NFL playoffs at the end of his sixth season with the Bears. After 73 games played, a handful of surgeries, and three trips to injured reserve, Long returned and started the NFC divisional-round game against the Eagles.

Nearly five months later, the veteran guard reflects on that 16-15 loss with an appropriate blend of gratitude and bitterness. A game that didn't quench his thirst, but left him wanting more.

“It was kind of like sitting down at a really nice restaurant, tasting the Acqua Panna water and then getting kicked out because you’ve got the wrong T-shirt on,” Long said.

It’s easy to make the case that no one on the Bears roster can truly appreciate this the way Long can, a player who has been through the entirety of a process that turned a last-place team into a Super Bowl contender.

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That’s why it’s easy for him to shift from big-picture reflection back to the detail required to improve one's self during offseason work and organized team activities.

This has been a different kind of offseason for Long. For one thing, he’s fully healthy, a rarity over the past several springs. He also, for the first time in his career, charges into a season in which the Bears can realistically be in the Lombardi Trophy hunt.

Naturally, Long has his eyes set on getting back to that fancy restaurant with the bottle of Acqua Panna.

This time he'll wear the right shirt.