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Philadelphia Eagles DE Chris Long officially announces retirement on Twitter

Ryan Young
·Staff writer
After more than a decade in the league, Eagles defensive end Chris Long appears to have announced his retirement.

After more than a decade in the NFL, it appears that Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long is calling it a career.

Long posted a picture to Twitter on Saturday night — 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,” Long tweeted. “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.”

Long played 11 seasons in the league, most notably for the St. Louis Rams, who selected him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft. He won back-to-back Super Bowls in 2016 and 2017, with both the New England Patriots and the Eagles. He recorded 6.5 sacks, the most since 2013, and 23 tackles last season for the Eagles, helping to lead them to a postseason berth for the second-straight year.

While his departure will hurt the Eagles defensive front, it was not totally unexpected. After the season last year, Long told the team to “plan like I’m not going to be back,” hinting that he was going to retire.

“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 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.

“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 are 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.”

The 34-year-old recorded 333 total tackles and had one touchdown in his career, returning a fumble in 2013. He was also named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year after the 2018 season, honoring his work with multiple charities throughout his career.

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