Former Titan David Long Fires Back At Mike Vrabel

It seems former Tennessee Titans linebacker David Long isn't happy with the narrative his former head coach Mike Vrabel created about him. On Wednesday, Long returned serve.

George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

NASHVILLE - Former Tennessee Titans linebacker David Long fired back at his former head coach Mike Vrabel during his Wednesday introductory news conference with his new team, the Miami Dolphins.  

The controversy began when Vrabel mentioned Long and Kristian Fulton during his January press conference as two Titans players who were "repeat offenders" with soft tissue injuries that kept them from playing multiple games last season. 

"We look at soft tissue injuries. We look at those soft tissue injuries of repeat offenders. It doesn't take too hard to look and see that Kristian Fulton and David Long were repeat offenders of soft tissue injuries," said Vrabel at the time. "They have to figure out a way to train. The game is played at a high speed. Kevin Byard has not pulled a hamstring since we have been here. There is a durability factor to playing professional football that we should not overlook. That is real. There are guys that are durable and there are guys that are not."

Long, speaking with members of the Dolphins media, said it was "unfortunate it (Vrabel's comment) created a narrative about how he takes care of his body" and that it would only add to the chip on his shoulder for the coming season.

Long can't deny his injury history, having missed 12 games over the last two seasons, and regardless of what the cause, his inability to remain on the field was likely a deciding factor for the Titans decision not to resign him. 

Regardless of those comments, the two sides have moved on, with Long now a Dolphins, and Vrabel and the Titans having replaced him with Azeez Al-Shaair.     

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