Philadelphia Eagles: Chris Long wants to retire with the team

Defensive end Chris Long wants to retire with the Philadelphia Eagles

It’s no secret that former Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long has had quite a career in the NFL. He’s won not one but two Super Bowl championships as many football fans will remember him mostly as a member of the then St. Louis Rams. For Eagles fans, however, he’ll be remembered as a catalyst to help them win their first-ever Super Bowl championship.

When the Eagles signed Long back in 2017 via free agency, they knew that the experience he brought to the table would prove to be vital for a locker room that needed it. Always known for his charity work off the gridiron, Long donated his entire salary that season to charity and helped groom his fellow defensive linemen for what awaited the following season.

Needless to say, 2018 will be a year forever etched in the hearts of Eagles fans all across the globe. Long played in every game that season and ended the year with 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and 23 tackles straight to a Super Bowl championship. Long delivered when it mattered most and just about a year after he announced his retirement from the game he loves, now the question is with what team would he prefer to be remembered by.

Chris Long knows that there is no team like the Philadelphia Eagles

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One would think it would be the Rams or even the New England Patriots, the team he won his first Super Bowl championship with. Deep down inside, however, Long knows that there truly is no other place in the world than the City of Brotherly Love.

In an article written by Adam Hermann of NBC Sports, here’s what Long said about what team he ultimately wants to retire with:

"“But I didn’t get to know them [Patriots fans] the way I knew them in Philly. And a lot of that was geography, putting my head down, I was there for one reason. In Philly, it was like the city just got a hold of me. So if I ever do the official retirement, something, I’ll probably do it as an Eagle. But then I might just want to go back to St. Louis, pick my favorite dive bar, and retire as a St. Louis Ram.”"

In the grand scheme of things, while Long wants to retire with the Eagles, it’s hard to decide against not only the team that drafted you into the NFL but one you spent the most time with. As the No. 2 overall pick in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft, Long spent eight years with the Rams totaling some of the best stats of his career.

On the other hand, he never won a Super Bowl championship with the Rams. Long also only spent one season with the Patriots so it wouldn’t make much sense to retire there. At the end of it all, as Long said, it’ll come down to the Rams and Eagles when he has to make his final decision but make no mistake about it, it sounds like he had a blast playing the final few years of his career in Philadelphia.

Hopefully, Long makes the right call and ends up retiring with the Eagles. It would be great to see it happen not only for him but to add another retired legendary player both on and off the field to the franchise forever.