Pre-draft At the
NFL Combine, Long did not lift the
bench-press reps of 225 pounds because of an injured thumb.
Virginia Pro Day Bench press: 370 lbs; Squat: 640 lbs; Power clean: 375 lbs
St. Louis Rams Long was selected by the
St. Louis Rams second overall in the
2008 NFL draft. The selection made him just the second son of a Hall of Famer, after tight end
Kellen Winslow II, to be drafted in the first round, the fifth such player ever drafted, and one of two such players drafted in 2008 (the other being
Matthew Slater). Following the draft, Rams head coach
Scott Linehan named Long a presumptive starter on defense, a notion that Long rejected and instead felt he needed to earn a spot as a starter. The Rams also announced their plans on using Long as both a linebacker and defensive end to showcase his athleticism. Long considered his ability to play multiple positions one of his best assets. On July 19, 2008, Long agreed to terms on a six-year $56.5 million contract with the Rams with $29 million guaranteed. On September 14, 2008, Long recorded his first career sack against
Eli Manning of the
New York Giants. He recorded his first 2-sack game versus the
New England Patriots on October 26, 2008. At the end of his 2008 rookie season he was voted All-Rookie by the
Pro Football Writers Association and
Sporting News. Long started 16 games (14 at right DE and 2 at left DE) for the Rams in 2008, recording 4 sacks and leading the team in quarterback pressures, with a high of two sacks against the New England Patriots. In 2009, Long again played both left and right defensive end for the Rams and ended the season with 5 sacks, which was second on the team. He also led the team's defensive linemen with 43 tackles (33 solo plus 10 assists) and for the second straight season he led the Rams in quarterback hits/hurries. In 2010, Long moved to left defensive end, a position previously held by
Leonard Little, where he is a more "natural fit" according to his coaches. In Week 6, 2010, against the San Diego Chargers, Long recorded two sacks and was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week by the NFL. Long also helped keep the Chargers to 287 total yards. For the third consecutive season, he led the team in hits/hurries. In addition, he led the NFL in hurries in 2010 with 41.5 and in total quarterback disruptions with 67.5 (Quarterback disruptions are the combined total of quarterback sacks, hits, and hurries) and was named fourth alternate to the Pro Bowl. In 2011, Chris Long decided to change his jersey number from 72 to his former collegiate number 91, which was previously worn by Leonard Little. On September 17, 2011, the Rams and Long agreed to a restructuring of his contract to free money under the salary cap. The restructured deal included a $12.1 million signing bonus and a base salary in excess of $10 million in 2012. Including the prorated signing bonus amount, Long had an $18.3 million cap number for the 2012 season. On October 30, 2011, Long had a career-high 3 sacks versus the New Orleans Saints and was named ''Sports Illustrated's'' NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts. And for the second consecutive season he led the NFL in quarterback disruptions. Long also led the Rams in quarterback hurries with 15 and quarterback hits with 16. He was voted as an alternate to the Pro Bowl for the second time. On July 29, 2012, Long and the Rams agreed to a four-year contract extension. In 2012 Long led the Rams in sacks with 11.5 and again led the team in quarterback hits (24) and hurries (50). Additionally, according to Football Outsiders.com Long led NFL defensive ends in hurries for the third straight season. On December 30, 2012, Long tied a career-high of 3 sacks versus the Seattle Seahawks. He was also voted as a Pro Bowl alternate for the third time. Against the Colts, Long recovered an
Andrew Luck fumble and ran it in for a touchdown, his first NFL score, and was named co-NFC Defensive Player of the Week by Sports Illustrated (along with Robert Quinn). Long ended the 2013 season with 8.5 sacks and took his career total to 50.5 sacks and was named to the All-Fundamentals teams for the second consecutive season. Also in 2013 Long was voted first alternate defensive end to the Pro Bowl, the fourth consecutive season he was an alternate. Once again for the sixth consecutive season he led the Rams teams in quarterback pressures with 39, but was second in quarterback hits to All-Pro
Robert Quinn. On September 10, 2014, Rams head coach
Jeff Fisher announced Long would spend two months recovering from ankle surgery. The injury reduced Long's 2014 season to six games. Long played 12 games for the Rams in 2015. He was released by the team on February 19, 2016.
New England Patriots On March 18, 2016, Long signed a one-year deal with the
New England Patriots worth $2 million. Long appeared in every game, starting in seven, and made solid contributions as a situational player on a team that went on to go 14–2 in the regular season, capture the AFC Championship, and win
Super Bowl LI, his first
Super Bowl title. Long played an important role in a critical play helping the team to a dramatic comeback victory. The Patriots trailed 28–3 in the third quarter, but rallied all the way back to win the game by a score of 34–28 against the
Atlanta Falcons, which featured the first overtime game in
Super Bowl history and the largest comeback in Super Bowl history. Although not appearing in any statistical category during the game, Long played a crucial part in the team's comeback when Falcons offensive tackle
Jake Matthews was called for holding Long on an eight-yard catch that would have put the Falcons at the Patriots 26-yard line for a potential game-sealing field goal. Instead, the Falcons were pushed out of field goal range and the Patriots were able to tie the game on their following possession.
Philadelphia Eagles On March 28, 2017, his 32nd birthday, Long signed a two-year contract with the
Philadelphia Eagles. Long announced that he would donate his entire 2017 salary to charity. Following the 2018 season, Long was named the recipient of the
Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for his efforts regarding clean water, military appreciation and youth education.
Retirement After the 2018 season, Long announced his retirement on May 18, 2019. ==Career statistics==