The Tennessee Titans are bringing back LB David Long after claiming him on waivers from the Detroit Lions on Wednesday afternoon.
Long was drafted by Tennessee in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft and spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the organization. From 2019-2022, Long played in 50 games and made 22 starts for the Titans at inside linebacker. He made 230 tackles and had four interceptions in a Titans uniform, but things soured towards the end of his tenure.
Long's reputation as a "soft tissue guy" quickly caused some tension between him and the organization. That was probably partially related to former head coach Mike Vrabel. Long left in free agency, signing a two-year, $11 million contract with the Miami Dolphins. He stayed healthy, started all 17 games for the Dolphins in 2023, and posted the first 100+ tackle season of his career.
The Dolphins waived Long in November of this year and he was brought in by the Detroit Lions to help out an ailing defense. The Lions followed suit and waived Long on Christmas Eve, and now he returns to his original team.
Tennessee has also been battling injury issues at the linebacker position. Rookies Cedric Gray and James Williams have been forced into action as of late, but the Titans poor run defense in Indianapolis exposed how big of a problem linebacker was becoming.
Ran Carthon and Brian Callahan are clearly hoping Long can provide a boost to a position of need for the final two games of the regular season. For Long, it's a chance to put good tape out there as he hits the open market this offseason.
