The Tennessee Titans are hurting at the linebacker position. In recent weeks, Kenneth Murray, Jerome Baker, and Otis Reese IV have all been sidelined or playing through injuries. Jack Gibbens also suffered a season-ending injury earlier in the year. In response to these persistent issues, the Titans attempted to reunite with one of their 2019 draft picks.
Murray was placed on season-ending IR on Wednesday. Needing to add a veteran linebacker to the roster, general manager Ran Carthon claimed David Long Jr. off waivers from the Detroit Lions. Unfortunately, the move fell through because Long Jr. ended up failing his physical.
The Titans were forced to play rookie linebackers Cedric Gray and James Williams in Week 16's embarrassing performance versus the Indianapolis Colts. Though Gray and Williams made the occasional splash play, Tennessee's run defense had a historically poor showing. Colts running back Jonathan Taylor rushed for 218 yards and three touchdowns as the offense racked up 335 total ground yards, the most allowed by the organization since they were the Houston Oilers in 1961.
Long Jr. was drafted by previous Titans GM Jon Robinson with the No. 188 overall selection in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The former West Virginia standout was part of a once-infamous Titans 2019 class that also landed the franchise A.J. Brown and Jeffery Simmons. The Nashville-based club initially landed five long-term starters on that class, but its overall recall has soured since the devastating Brown trade. Simmons and safety Amani Hooker are the only players that remain with the team from that class.
Long Jr. did not leave the Titans on the greatest terms. Previous head coach Mike Vrabel was highly critical of his recurring injuries, calling him a "repeat offender" before allowing him to walk in free agency. By trying to reunite with Long Jr., Carthon and first-year head coach Brian Callahan are clearly proving that the opinions of the previous regime do not matter to them. They also recently considered reuniting with Nate Davis, another 2019 draftee that left on bad terms.
Long Jr. recorded 230 tackles in four previous campaigns with the Titans. It's hard to comprehend what's happened with his career since. After being met with a lukewarm market in 2023 free agency, he signed a modest two-year contract with the Miami Dolphins. Long Jr. led the Dolphins in tackles with a career-high and team-leading 113 during his first season with the club, but was surprisingly released midway through 2024. He's since been released by the Lions as well.
The 2019 draftee would have tried to revive his career in Nashville's familiar surroundings, but he needs to focus on getting healthy first.
