New England Patriots

Former Rams DE Chris Long Describes How He Would Have Played 2016 Season For Five Dollars

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:31 p.m. ET

Fansided, Dan Parzych/FanSided via Ramblin' Fan

On Sunday, former Rams defensive end Chris Long will be playing in Super Bowl LI against the Falcons as a member of the Patriots.

The Los Angeles Rams made the difficult decision last February to release Chris Long after the defensive end spent the first eight years of his career as a member of the team in St. Louis. Shortly after his release from the Rams, Long was eventually picked up by the New England Patriots on a one-year, $2.3 million deal, but it was never about the money for the former first-round pick.

Obviously, it’s every player’s dream to have an opportunity to play for a team like the Patriots when considering the team is a strong contender to win the Super Bowl each year, and Long knew deep down joining the team would be his best chance at earning a ring. In fact, during a recent interview with MMQB, Long made it clear that it was never about the money when it came to joining New England, and he would have played this year for five dollars.

After failing to play in a single playoff game during his eight years as a member of the Rams, it’s easy to assume Long is financially set for the rest of his life, and his only motivation to keep playing at his age (31) is to finally win a Super Bowl. To go from no playoff experience to being on the verge of winning a Super Bowl if the Patriots can defeat the Atlanta Falcons has to be thrilling for a player like Long at this stage in his career.

Who knows, if all goes well in Houston for the Patriots, this could be the perfect ending to Long’s career if he considers retirement after nine seasons.