Both the defensive end and running back are making their mark in Philadelphia after claiming a title with New England last year.
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long endured the first eight seasons of his NFL career without a playoff appearance, let alone the chance to play in the Super Bowl.
So when he signed a free agent deal with the Patriots in 2016, following the end of his tenure with the Rams organization, it was his chance to finally get his first taste of the postseason. He did, of course, and left with a Super Bowl ring.
There were no such postseason guarantees for Long this year when he signed a one-year deal with theEagles, yet here Long is on the NFL’s biggest stage once again.
“Coming to Philly, it was part of building something. The excitement level is the same, but for different reasons,” Long said Wednesday during the Eagles’ media availability at the Mall of America.
But he’s not the only current Eagle preparing to face his former team. He’s joined on the Philadelphia roster by running back LaGarrette Blount, who led the NFL with 18 rushing touchdowns for the Patriots last season. Blount spent at least part of four seasons in New England and owns two rings, having also been on the team that beat the Seahawks three years ago.
He remains close with many of his former Patriots teammates, including quarterback Tom Brady and running backs Dion Lewis and James White.
“I got a lot of bonds on that team that I will continue to have for the rest of my life outside of football, and Tom is one of them,” Blount said Wednesday.
But the friendly feelings have mostly disappeared this week. Lewis told USA TODAY Sports he’s been texting with Blount and the two have stepped up their trash talk this week. At kickoff Sunday, all friendship will be on hold.
“Straight enemies,” Blount told reporters Monday night. “Ain’t no homies.”
It isn’t entirely a coincidence that Long and Blount wound up in Philadelphia together.
Long signed his two-year free agent deal in late March. Once he reported to the team in April for offseason workouts, he made a pitch to his Eagles bosses about a certain free agent running back.
“Not like you need to vouch for anybody, but I was like, ‘Hey, y’all need to sign this guy. He’s got a lot left in the tank,’ ” Long told USA TODAY Sports.
Blount wound up signing a one-year contract in mid-May.
Both Long and Blount have been key role players on the field, with Long recording five sacks in the regular season. He’s credited with two tackles in the postseason, but his pressure on Vikings quarterback Case Keenum led to an interception return for a touchdown early in the NFC Championship Game.
“He was a great teammate, a guy who is obviously a stand-up guy on and off the field and a guy who approached the game the right way and handled himself like a pro,” Patriots defensive end Trey Flowers said of his former teammate. “I mean, he’s definitely a guy who deserves it and is doing great. He’s been doing great his whole career, so just for him to get to experience things like this during his career, it’s definitely a blessing for him, so best of luck to him.”
Blount’s numbers are down from his career-best season last year, though he scored once in each of the Eagles’ postseason games during this Super Bowl run. His former teammates in New England are preparing for his bruising running style and are expecting him to be the Eagles’ top red-zone weapon.
“We watched him score 18 touchdowns last year. He gets better as the game goes on,” Patriots safety Devin McCourty said.
Long and Blount aren’t the only Eagles to own Super Bowl rings – safety Malcolm Jenkins (with the Saints), receiver Torrey Smith (with Baltimore) and linebacker Chris Maragos (with Seattle) each own one too – but their recent experience with the Patriots has been invaluable to their teammates this week.
“It’s just one those things where you can’t really explain how big of a game this is,” Blount said. “Obviously everyone understands that this is the Super Bowl, but it’s a lot more than that and you’ve got to understand that these opportunities are very few and far between.”
Follow Lindsay H. Jones on Twitter @bylindsayhjones.
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