NASHVILLE – During the past four seasons, Titans linebacker David Long Jr. put in the work.
Now, with his contract set to expire in March, Long is hoping he did enough to keep his career going in Tennessee.
"Of course I'd love to stay here," Long said as he cleaned out this locker earlier this month. "I think I have done my part as far as any time I'm on the field, that's what I can control – I think I did my part. Anything other than that I am going to leave it up to God and my agent and stuff like that.
"But that's not my decision. I feel like I took care of business on the field, and we'll see how it goes."
A sixth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Long has been a productive player for the Titans.
In four NFL seasons, Long has tallied 226 tackles, 12 quarterback pressures, and four interceptions while playing in 50 games, with 26 starts.
Long was limited to just 12 games in 2022. He was sidelined the final five games of the season with an injury, which was a bummer, he said. Long was also limited to 10 games in 2021 because of injuries.
"I play at a certain level, and for me to play at that level I have to be a certain way physically and I just wasn't," Long said of not being able to return at the end of the year. "It was very tough. You put the work in all offseason, hopefully to end the season healthy. But the ball didn't roll my way this year. I feel like the time I was on the field I gave it my all so I can't really be mad."
Long, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March, said he's confident the Titans will be a contender again in 2023.
In his first three seasons, he was a member of a playoff team, so this past year's 7-10 finish hit different.
"We have a good group of men in this locker room," Long said. "I'm pretty sure we'll figure out a way to bring everybody together. We just need to find a way to get better."
