Eagles' Defensive End Chris Long Announces Retirement

Chris Long, a 34-year-old defensive end and member of the Super Bowl LII champion Eagles, announced Saturday night that he's calling it a career.

The No. 2 pick in the 2008 NFL Draft out of Virginia, Long had 333 tackles and 70 sacks in his 11 NFL seasons. He also won Super Bowl LI with the Patriots.

During the Eagles' run to the Super Bowl, Long made a number of key plays, including pressuring Vikings quarterback Case Keenum into a pivotal interception in the NFC Championship Game that Patrick Robinson returned for a touchdown. He wore a retro Allen Iverson jersey to the championship parade.

Long has made a massive impact off the field, winning the 2018 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award for his variety of charitable efforts through the Chris Long Foundation. He's funded scholarships in his hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia, and raised millions of dollars for educational initiatives and access to clean water for communities that need it in East Africa (see story). 

Long's departure may leave the Eagles somewhat thin at defensive end for the time being. Vinny Curry, Josh Sweat and rookie Shareef Miller are the team's current top reserve DE options.

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