Having announced his retirement last week after 11 NFL seasons, Chris Long is now even more free to speak his mind on the issues that perplex the league (though he never really was afraid of doing that during his playing days, either). So that’s what he did during an appearance Wednesday on “The Dan Patrick Show” when he said he “enjoyed my fair share” of marijuana during his playing days and became the latest player or former player to question the effectiveness of the NFL’s drug-testing policy and its policy prohibiting marijuana.
“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 throughout my career,” Long said. “So, you know, and I was never afraid to say that and I’m able to say it more explicitly now: if not for that, I’m not as capable of coping with the stressors of day-to-day NFL life. A lot of guys get a lot of pain management out of it. (Anti-inflammatory drug) Toradol did more pain management for me.”
Long also pointed out the ineffectiveness of the league’s testing policy for recreational drugs, in which players are tested only once a year at some point between late April and early August. Joining others, he said it isn’t hard to pass the test.
