Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Hunter Long (84) against the New Orleans Saints during a joint scrimmage during at Ochsner Sports Performance Center.
Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
With the cut-down deadline just hours away, the Jacksonville Jaguars have already started trimming their roster down to 53 players. Releasing veterans isn't the only way to clear roster spots, though. The trade market can be utilized, too, and the Jaguars did just that by dealing Hunter Long to the Arizona Cardinals. The news was reported by Mike Garafolo.
The 2021 third-round pick is a tight end who played one season in Jacksonville. He had 12 catches, which were more than the rest of his career combined. Long's 85 receiving yards were a career high, too.
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Jacksonville's tight end room became overcrowded when they drafted Nate Boerkircher and Tanner Koziol in the 2026 NFL Draft. Both players supplanted Long on the depth chart, which also included Brenton Strange. Now, the tight end will back up Trey McBride, arguably the best tight end in the sport. He joins an offense quarterbacked by Jacoby Brissett, but Carson Beck could see action at some point, too. Long hasn't produced as expected as a pass catcher thus far, but he is a solid blocker. It is unclear what the Cardinals are giving up in the trade.
The trade comes just one day after the Jaguars dealt for Quinn Ewers, a second-year quarterback who started three games for the Miami Dolphins last season. Miami just so happens to be the team that originally drafted Long, too. Every team has to get down to 53 players, but Jacksonville has been arguably the most active wheeling and dealing to get there.