Chris Long: 'I Certainly Enjoyed My Fair Share' of Marijuana During NFL career
Recently retired Eagles defensive lineman Chris Long discussed his marijuana use during his NFL career on the Dan Patrick Show on Wednesday.
The 34-year-old called into the show and talked about the NFL and NFL Players Association announcing an agreement to study marijuana for pain management.
"We should be headed to a place where we allow players to enjoy what I would not even call a drug - it’s far less dangerous than guzzling a fifth of alcohol and going out after a game," Long said. "Chances are the player won’t even make it to the club [laughs] to do this sort of thing that we all kind of wag our finger at when we hear about a guy getting in a fight or getting a DUI, you’re never going to read about him sitting on the couch and binge-watching 'Game of Thrones' again.
"I think from a standpoint of what’s safer for people and the player, certainly people in the spotlight, it is far less harmful than alcohol, it is far less harmful than tobacco, and at various points in the league’s history, they have engaged in partnerships on different levels with those respective industries."
He also talked about his own use.
"I’m not a dry snitch, I’m not going to put a percentage on how much the league smokes, but I certainly enjoyed my fair share on a regular basis through my career," Long said. "So, you know, and I was never afraid to say that but I’m able to say it more explicitly now: Listen, if not for that, I’m not as capable of coping with the stresses of day-to-day NFL life. A lot of guys get a lot of pain management out of it. ... Toradol did more pain management for me."
When asked about testing, Long said he thought testing "is arbitrary" and players know when the tests are.
Long spent the last two seasons with the Eagles, winning a Super Bowl with the squad in 2018. He also won a Super Bowl in 2017 with the Patriots. He played for the Rams for the first eight seasons in the league after getting drafted at No. 2 overall in the 2008 NFL draft. He finished his career with 70 sacks, 333 combined tackles and 15 forced fumbles.
He discussed his decision to retire and whether he'd consider coming back on the latest SI Media Podcast.
Long also revealed on the podcast that he's starting his own sports media company.
