The itch was still there, but apparently it wasn't strong enough. Today Chris Long announced that he has officially retired from the NFL with this message on Twitter.
The reigning Walter Payton Man of the Year enjoyed an 11-year career in the NFL, spending the last two in Philadelphia. He was a part of the Patriots for their Super Bowl win in 2016, and he also won a Super Bowl with the Eagles the following year, having a huge play in the NFC Championship Game that helped swing momentum Philadelphia's way.
When Long previously mentioned the itch was still there to play one more season, he did mention that he was only interested in coming back if he was guaranteed to play an actual part in the defense. He did not want to come back and sit on the bench and just be a "locker room guy." With the Eagles re-signing Brandon Graham, the current starting defensive ends for 2019 are projected to be Graham and Derek Barnett. The team also brought back Vinny Curry to be apart of the rotation, and the team already spent a 4th-round pick on Josh Sweat to be a part of the rotation as well. So that left Long with very minimal playing time if he would have returned.
Long leaves Philadelphia ranking 27th in franchise history in forced fumbles (6) 35th in sacks (11.5) and 128th in tackles (35).
