BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- Earlier in the week, Tom Brady said he hoped Chris Long would take it easy on him in Super Bowl LII, but speaking on Thursday, Long knows Brady isn't going to take it easy on him and the rest of the Eagles defense.
"He is not going to take it easy on us," Long said. "It is going to be a great game and one of the big matchups will be Tom against our defense. He's a great, great player. I look forward to competing against him.
"I've never really had a chance to compete — well, one time in London, but I barely remember that game. We got beat 44-7 when I was with the Rams. It will be fun to compete against him again."
Long won Super Bowl LI with the Patriots in his only year with the Patriots. He signed with the Eagles last offseason citing a better scheme for him. The defensive end said no one was more understanding than Bill Belichick.
"It's all about for me being in a scheme that fits," he said. "Nobody understood that better than Coach Belichick. He was awesome about it. That train is going to keep moving no matter who is up there. It's not about certain players, it is about their system and buying in. I bought in for a year and I realized I was very lucky to be there, and also realized as a 32-year-old if I wanted to play at a high level and be proud of the what I am putting on tape going forward, I had to make a switch. That was all."
Long finished this season with 5.5 sacks.
