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Ex-Eagles star refused to face Tom Brady after cutting ties with Patriots

Originally posted on Inside the Iggles | By Gourab Saha | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 12:00 PM ET

Tom Brady casts the longest shadow in football. For opponents, facing him feels like stepping up to the plate against prime Pedro Martinez in the bottom of the ninth. PURE DREAD! And one ex-Eagle knew that icy feeling deep in his bones.

After tasting glory with New England, the thought of battling his old teammates... and especially Tom Brady, sparked genuine fear. And it wasn't just about the game. It was about potential humiliation on the grandest stage.

That Eagle was Chris Long. On July 17, he spilled the beans on the "Green Legion" podcast.

For a moment rewind to January 21, 2018. Long, then with Philly, watched the AFC Championship nervously from Dom DiSandro’s Eagles office. Jacksonville led New England late. "Come on, Jags," he pleaded. Why? "I don't want to play Tom Brady," Long confessed.

"I don't want to play Tom Brady anyways 'cause I'd rather play Blake [Bortles], who was a good player, but Tom's going to get that ball out so we're not going to get any sacks. And there's the embarrassment factor of what if we lose to our old team?" Chris added. The infamous "Myles Jack wasn't down" call went against Jacksonville. And Brady did what he always did.

He engineered a 24-20 comeback win. The Eagles' path now went through Foxborough. Philly’s locker room buzzed with mixed feelings. Partly fueled by the challenge to end one of football's greatest dynasties. And partly by guys like Long, who understood the Patriot machine intimately.

That insider knowledge. That knowledge, mixed with a fearless underdog spirit, became their secret sauce. The Eagles brigade believed they could slay the giant. And Long’s dread did transform into determined preparation. He knew stopping Tom Brady required something extraordinary. Hence, the Eagles practiced with playoff intensity during their bye week.

Backup quarterback Nick Foles developed crucial timing with receivers. Coach Doug Pederson promised aggression. And they didn't disappoint.

Facing the GOAT: Philly's Perfect Response

Super Bowl LII became an offensive fireworks display. Tom Brady threw for a jaw-dropping 505 yards and three touchdowns. But the Eagles... they were led by Foles’ stunning 373-yard, three-touchdown MVP performance. And matched Bill Belichick's men blow-for-blow. Pederson’s guts defined the night. Down late in the first half?

He dialed up the legendary "Philly Special." A direct snap, pitch, and Foles catching a touchdown pass from Trey Burton. It was pure, unadulterated audacity. "That play we’ve been working on for the last couple of weeks," Pederson said later, "and just needed the right time, right opportunity." Burton simply stated, "He’s got a lot of guts." But things weren't easy.

The game roared into the final minutes. Brady had the ball, down five, with 2:21 left. Dynasty time, right? Then, Brandon Graham burst through. His strip-sack, recovered by Derek Barnett, shattered New England's final drive. The Eagles added a field goal. Brady's last heave fell incomplete.

Philadelphia erupted. Long, the man who once desperately didn't want to face Tom Brady, had his second straight ring with a second different team. His knowledge, combined with Philly’s fearless culture, proved the perfect antidote to the Patriot mystique. They stared down the GOAT and didn’t blink. As Apollo Creed might say, "There is no tomorrow!"—and for these Eagles, that meant eternal glory.

This article first appeared on Inside the Iggles and was syndicated with permission.

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