Former Patriots Defensive End Announces Retirement With Emotional Message

After 11 NFL seasons, Chris Long, the vital piece to the New England Patriots Super Bowl LI win, as well as the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl LII victory, announced his retirement on Saturday night via social media.

Long posted a picture to Twitter — him raising a plastic red cup to mountains in the background — that officially announced his retirement from the league.

“Cheers. Been a hell of a journey. Eleven years and I can honestly say I put my soul into every minute of it. Highs and lows. I’ve seen them both and I appreciate the perspective. Gratitude and love to those who lifted me up,” the 34-year-old Long wrote on Twitter.

Last month, during a wide-range interview with The Inquirer, the Philadelphia Eagles defensive end indicated that his playing career was complete.

“At 34, with my experience and what I’ve done, and still believing in myself and playing at a high level, it’s too hard on my body, on my family, on everybody else to go through it for a role that’s far from perfect,” Long told The Inquirer . “I told them this maybe a month ago, I said, ‘Hey, listen, just plan like I won’t be back.’ ”

Shortly after Long’s announcement, the Philadelphia Eagles released a statement.

“When you look at everything Chris Long accomplished as a player and person, it’s easy to see how fortunate we’ve been to have him on our team,” the Philadelphia Eagles said in a statement. “Chris was everything that we thought he was and even more – not only as a great player for our football team, but also in the community. There aren’t many players who can say they won back-to-back Super Bowls and the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

“He accomplished both with class and grace. There’s no question that his work ethic combined with his unique talent made him into one of the greatest of this era’s professional athletes. We’re very thankful Chris chose to play for the Philadelphia Eagles, and congratulate him on a fantastic career. He will always be part of the Eagles family.”

Long was the No. 2 overall selection in the 2008 NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams. He played eight seasons in St. Louis before joining the Patriots in 2016 and then the Eagles in 2017.

During his first season in Philadelphia, Long registered 28.0 tackles and 5.0 sacks en route to helping the Eagles beat the Patriots in Super Bowl LII. Long then recorded 23.0 tackles and 6.5 sacks in 2018 and helped Philly return to the playoffs.