If you’re a fan of the NFL, Tyler Dunne is a must-read. Go Long on Substack aims to take readers inside the complicated and sometimes messy world of the National Football League.
The longtime sports writer, who previously wrote for Bleacher Report, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and the Buffalo News, started Go Long in November 2020. Since then, Dunne has broken notable stories, such as Sean McDermott’s regrettable 9/11 speech in December 2023 and the dysfunctional relationship between Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears in September 2025.
We recently caught up with Dunne to discuss his life as an independent journalist.
Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Awful Announcing: Why should someone subscribe to Go Long ?
Tyler Dunne: “Since day one, I’ve tried to take readers places that they can’t go and places many people in sports media are unwilling or unable to go. I think that there’s real, raw pro football out there that isn’t necessarily regurgitated on daytime television. At times, it might be uncomfortable, and it’s going to be ugly. But I think fans are the ones who are paying $118 for a ticket, $60 for parking, $18 for a beer. You’re investing so much financially, but more than that, you’re investing so much emotionally into these teams. Everybody is investing so much in every way. They deserve to get the truth, or as close to it.”
How do you deal with the pushback you have received on some of your reporting?
“There are a lot of people who cover the NFL and do a hell of a job, do it the right way. I also think that a lot of coverage seeks Twitter approval and is very flowery. The lines between reporter and fan get blurred with NFL coverage today. I’ve seen a shift from 2011 to 2025. I almost don’t even blame fans sometimes, like when they’re inundated with the sunny side-up coverage. And it’s not just coverage from reporters. It’s fan accounts, fan blogs.
“I suppose it’s going to be a little strange when somebody like myself strolls in with a story on Sean McDermott and the 9-11 speech and the Chicago Bears three-parter. So yeah, I get it. It’s going to be jarring, but hey, it’s all part of it. We write for the people who actually want to read it, dig into it with an open mind, versus those who may just look at a screenshot on social media.”
Our series, “House of Dysfunction,” begins at Go Long. First up? The Curious Case of Caleb Williams… and a 2024 season from football hell.
“If you can’t sacrifice? There’s no substitute for the work. That’s something he needs to learn.”https://t.co/AUB04i6iUZ
— Tyler Dunne (@TyDunne) September 5, 2025
How do you go about reporting stories?
“The foundation for everything, it’s all relationships. I hate the word sources. These are people that you get to know over the course of several years covering pro football. You’re not inventing things. The stuff isn’t coming out of thin air. You’re building relationships. You’re talking to people nonstop. I’ve gotten in the habit of calling a scout, a coach, a GM, a player. Just to have a conversation. That Bears series, that’s kind of how it started, in February, March of the off-season. I was just as curious as anybody about the fact that Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams would be joining forces.”
What led you to Substack after being laid off from Bleacher Report?
“David Gardner was at Bleacher Report. He reached out to me. ‘Hey, have you heard about Substack? You do all these features. That might be a great outlet for you.’ I heard from Matthew Coller at Purple Insider. He told me about Substack. I’d better check this thing out. I was able to hop on a Zoom with Hamish McKenzie, the founder, and had a great chat with him. I probably would have been open to going into The Athletic, SI, or wherever. But at that point, honestly, I was like, I’ve seen where newspapers are going. I’ve worked for a big website. That vision could change on a dime. I’m going to cover the NFL the way I think the NFL should be covered, really lean into these features, go all over the country, do stories.”
Did you imagine that you’d still be doing this five years later?
“I’m an optimistic person. But more than that, I’m very entrepreneurial. My dad has had his own business here in Western York. So I saw at a young age what it’s like to bet on yourself. He took his own leap of faith. He had three kids. My mom made the selfless decision to stay at home, and it worked out. I think we’re the same person in terms of energy, risk, and betting on yourself.”
What was the biggest challenge when you started?
“Management, and juggling a lot of things all at once. In November 2020, I launched, and then in 2021, we had our son in July. That same week, I signed my book contract. I have eight months to write a manuscript on how tight ends are saving football. Having our second child and everything that goes into having a newborn. That was wild. And also doing a show with Isaiah McKenzie. I tried to freelance for The New York Times every Sunday, as well as before they teamed up with The Athletic. It was a lot all at once, on top of trying to introduce this football website to the masses. We had a podcast as well. I think I bit off a lot more than I could chew.”
How many subscribers do you have now?
“I do try to keep a steady stream of content rolling in: columns, podcasts, the player profiles, the deeper dives on teams. For my subscriptions, I’m over 6,000 paid and 36,000 free. You have free subscribers, and you’re hoping they’ll convert to paid subscribers. It goes up and down. That’s part of the volatility of a Substack or a newsletter. It could be high. It can be low. You’ve just got to trust that you’re doing it the right way to stay in a healthy place.”
How often do you go to games?
“I could go to a game every weekend, but I feel like my travel budget and time are better spent traveling during the week. I feel like those are the stories that are going to be fresh, original, and have a better opportunity to sit down with a player and at length. And teams are great too in that regard. They know Tyler’s coming to town. They’ll give a player a heads-up. This is going to be a little longer than just a scrum at the locker. If you’re into this angle, we’ll sit down for an hour. Maybe it’s even over dinner. I do that with a lot of players or at their homes.”
Can’t talk about being tough, winning at LOS, “complementary” football when you’re uprooted to this extreme. Bills have so many issues but starts with the D, imo. When they’re getting whacked for 300+ yards in a half, can’t get James Cook rollin.’ pic.twitter.com/kfRzsyyUmM
— Tyler Dunne (@TyDunne) October 14, 2025
As a married father of three, how much does that motivate you?
“I need to write stuff that people care about and are willing to pay for, or else our family suffers for it. I love that entrepreneurial aspect. So, if I’m going to take a trip, if I’m waking up at 3 a.m. to hit the road and drive eight hours, I’ve got to get something good because it’s time away from the family.”
Appreciate everyone looking out for Go Long! But would be remiss if I didn’t note that @AdamSchefter has been incredibly helpful sharing stories since I started this whole thing a while back. He’s a busy man. Zero hard feelings here.
— Tyler Dunne (@TyDunne) December 8, 2023
Did you ever receive an apology from Adam Schefter regarding your Sean McDermott 9/11 story?
“That day was so crazy for obvious reasons. I put out these three parts like rapid fire. I had them all written, ready to roll. The 9/11 speech isn’t something you necessarily hear every day out of a coach. Yeah, that would be what takes off on social media. It might have been a couple of hours after things were posted that my phone just blew up. Tweets, radio requests, text messages, and calls. I didn’t even know the whole Schefter thing. I didn’t even know what the hell was going on. So, he posted a screenshot without a link. But I really mean this from the bottom of my heart. There is zero ill will. He didn’t mean anything by it. He’s a great guy. He’s helped me out a lot. He has shared my stories in the past. I wasn’t upset at all about that. That was totally fine.”