Long Ready to be Heard

As one of the most experienced players on defense, the inside linebacker intends to speak up more during the 2022 NFL season.

NASHVILLE – For three years, David Long let his play do the talking. And increasingly, he had more to say in that regard.

The sixth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft has grown from primarily a special teams performer as a rookie to a spot starter in his second season to a regular starter and one of the most productive members of the Tennessee Titans defense.

Now that the inside linebacker is one of the older and more accomplished members of that defense, he is prepared to make himself heard in a different way.

“I feel like – as far as vocally – I’ve sat back because there’s been vets in front of me and they could take that role,” Long said Monday, the first day of the Titans’ offseason training program. “So, now I’m here and I’m in a spot where I am so I can be more vocal and make more decisions.”

Even as he climbed the depth chart and saw increases in playing time and productivity, Long was still behind Rashaan Evans, a first-round pick in 2018, and Jayon Brown, a fifth-round pick in 2017, in terms of seniority and locker room influence. Those two were not re-signed after last season, and Evans went to Atlanta while Brown moved on to Las Vegas as free agents.

The result is that Long has been with the Titans longer than any other inside linebacker on the roster and has accomplished more in the NFL than all but Zach Cunningham, who was acquired last December off waivers from the Houston Texans. Long and Cunningham are the presumed starters at inside linebacker with 2021 draft pick Monty Rice as the primary backup.

“David Long plays with a lot of confidence and plays with a lot of passion,” safety Kevin Byard said. “So, I’m just excited to see his progression as a player. … I think the passion he plays with and the type of confidence he has, he’s already a leader in his own right. I’m just excited to see him this offseason take that next step.”

Long tied for second on the team with 75 tackles last season (10 more than his first two seasons combined) despite the fact that he missed seven games with injuries. His total topped Evans’ by 18 and Brown’s by 20 for most among Titans’ inside linebackers.

In the 10 games he did play (nine starts), Long led or tied for the team lead in tackles five times.

That speaks volumes about what he means to the defense going forward and – as he sees it – affords him the opportunity to make himself heard in a more traditional manner.

“I have sat back and watched the people in front of me, and I’ve grown as a player, on and off the field,” Long said. “So, the next step for me is continue growing into that next level where I can be an All-Pro or whatever. There is no limit for me, really. I’ve said that before.”

And this season, he has a lot more to say.