After the season was over, Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel called out two players specifically for their repeated issues with soft-tissue injuries, and one of them was then-pending free agent, David Long, who has signed with the Miami Dolphins. The other was cornerback Kristian Fulton.
Since that quote, there have been questions about not only Long’s ability to stay healthy, but also about how well he takes care of his body.
Long did end up getting a two-year, $11 million deal from Miami, but one can only wonder if he would’ve gotten more if not for his injury history (he missed 12 games combined in 2021 and 2022).
When speaking to Chris Perkins of the Sun Sentinel on Wednesday, Long said Vrabel’s comments, which surprised him, created a narrative about how he takes care of his body. He also says it adds to the chip on his shoulder.
David Long tells Chris Perkins he was surprised Mike Vrabel called out his injury history and that it's unfortunate it created a narrative about how he takes care of his body. Long says it adds to his chip.
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) March 22, 2023
“If you watch film since my rookie year to this year, every play I lay it down on the line. That was a surprise to me, it created a narrative,” he said, per Sam Phalen of AtoZ Sports Nashville.
While I can certainly see where Long is coming from, the bigger narrative that really hurt his free agency bid was his injury issues, which were no secret.
And Long wasn’t shy about expressing his frustration with teams apparently heavily taking that injury history into consideration.
You would’ve thought I tore my ACL the way they treating me 😭 wild
— Day✖️2 (@David__Long) March 14, 2023
Now, Long gets a fresh start in Miami and a chance to put his injury woes behind him, while also building toward earning the kind of the contract he was hoping for this offseason.
