All I remember is a perfect blue sky, temps in the 80s and a rush of adrenaline. No sadness, no fear.
Way back in August 2020, I had just pulled my truck into the Spot Coffee parking lot in Hamburg, NY to do some writing when word started circulating amongst co-workers: Bleacher Report was moving on from words. Everyone was getting whacked.
I loved covering the NFL at B/R. My colleagues were top-notch. They paid us well.
Yet in that exact moment, the sensation was palpable. I shifted into reverse, drove home, delivered the news to my wife and she couldn’t understand why I was smiling. We had a daughter less than 1 year old. In the midst of Covid, with the NFL starting up soon, this was the worst time to get let go. Sports writing paid the bills. “Aren’t you upset?” she asked.
Not in the least, hun.
I could not wait for whatever came next.
What that’d be exactly… I had no clue. There was no immediate plan. Friends told me about “Substack” and the newsletter format. They thought people might be willing to pay for NFL feature writing. Naturally, I was skeptical. Was this niche-y enough? After previously covering the Bills (Buffalo News) and the Packers (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel), I wondered if zeroing in on one team was best. Would people really walk into the kitchen for their wallet… pull out a credit card… and punch those 16 digits into a site for longform? Zero clue.
But that gut feeling persisted. This felt right.
My parents were both entrepreneurs. My sister had just opened a gym. It was time.
In November, I took the plunge with a trio of features on Josh Allen/Patrick Mahomes, the Packers QB blueprint and Mike Zimmer’s Vikes and “Go Long” was born. A good chunk of sports media continues to lean into a fast-food model to capitalize on humanity’s shrinking attention span: mock drafts, power rankings, Twitter pandering. Hey, let’s admit it. There’s a ravenous appetitive for all the above.
The charge here — from Day 1 — was to zag the opposite direction and see what happens.
Go Long is now 5 years old.
Because of you, this site currently ranks No. 4 on Substack’s Sports Bestsellers List.
As the calendar turns, I wanted to offer a heartfelt Thank You for your unwavering trust and support. We write for you. We write for the football fan who wants to go beyond rage-bait screenshots on the bird app. We write for the football fan who knows there’s one version of the NFL manicured for public consumption at podiums… and quite another behind the scenes. We’ll relentlessly pursue the latter via team deep dives and raw player profiles. When you invest in this site, I take it personal. The mission is to unearth a story worth your valuable time. Something different.
Never hesitate to email me at golongtd@substack.com. Let me know what you’re looking for in 2026.
Year to year, I’d like to think our place and purpose in the NFL universe sharpens a little more.
Go Long is powered by the people. There’s immense value in being independent. We’re beholden to no sponsors, no corporate overlords, no mobs. Only you. I’ll talk to as many people as I can around the league and see where it leads.
What a pleasure it’s been to welcome back my old mentor from those Wisconsin days. Bob McGinn is a legend. The “Ty & Bob Pod” has been a riot, and McGinn’s annual draft series is always required reading. This season, Jim Monos returned to co-host a new show for members: “Real Football.” Love getting his perspective as a former Super Bowl-champion personnel man. Behind the scenes, Jon Daly of Brave Buffalo is the mastermind behind all artwork. What a talent. And to sharpen our podcasts, we’ve got Chris Krueger producing RF here in Western NY.
It’s New Year’s Day. We’re savoring every moment here. Now, our daughter is six years old, our son is four and we welcomed another boy into the world last June. As soon as this gets posted, it’s time for a Play-Doh session followed by a game of king of the hill in 2 1/2 feet of snow out back. Hope you all had a phenomenal Christmas.
Overwhelmed with gratitude. Turns out, there was good reason for that peculiar sense of joy back in 2020.
Appreciate you reading, subscribing and sharing with a friend.
Ecstatic for everything ahead.
Here’s a look back at a handful of our most-read pieces from 2025.
It’s been an eventful year.
Cheers to 2026.
Jordan Poyer’s Last Stand
Why is he still playing at 34? This feels like more of a calling to the Buffalo Bills safety.
Hold on tight. Jordan Poyer takes everyone on a psychedelic journey.
We get into everything from alcohol abuse to ayahuasca to Toradol-induced cluster headaches to, naturally, aliens.
Julian Hill will save lives
Truly had no clue what life was like for kids on the fringes of society. A day with this Miami Dolphins tight end blew my mind. Julian Hill is uniquely positioned to save lives.
He can relate.
He, too, was stranded.
House of Dysfunction, a three-part series on the Chicago Bears
Coaches, scouts, execs, players. I spent seven months chatting at length with 32 sources for this three-parter on the state of the Bears. It took more twists and turns than anticipated. As those who read in full know, “House of Dysfunction” was always more about the GM, than the QB.
Leaning into a smashmouth rushing attack, an opportunistic defense and timely heroics late from the quarterback, Chicago is back in the playoffs. From Day 1, Ben Johnson has coached the former No. 1 pick hard. And to his credit, Williams has responded.
This offseason, we’ll be sure to reflect on this more, too.
PATRIOT REIGN? How Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye can restart a dynasty of their own
Drake Maye is positioned to win MVP. Mike Vrabel is up for Coach of the Year.
Early this season, we drove to Foxborough to explore how one empire fell and the Patriots planned to build a new one.
TreVeyon Henderson sees the light
Sleep paralysis. Demons. Suicidal thoughts. The rookie running back opened up on the turning point of his life.
The Revenge of Dalton Kincaid
On fourth and 5, the ball fluttered toward Dalton Kincaid at Arrowhead. A ticket to the Super Bowl was on the line. And… he couldn’t make the play. Inside the visitor’s locker room, a few pointed words from Micah Hyde stuck with the Bills tight end: “Fucking own it.”
So, he did. We’ll see if Kincaid gets his opportunity at playoff revenge soon.
Inside Dan Quinn’s total transformation of the Washington Commanders
The Washington Redskins/Football Team/Commanders have been a disaster for 30 years.
We explored how Dan Quinn tried to change everything from the inside-out.
After an injury-riddled 2025 season, he’s got his work cut out for him in ‘26.
‘I know it can be done:’ Our 1 on 1 with Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane
The heat’s on Buffalo to get over the championship hump. We sat down with the GM after the draft for this Q&A, and followed up with a column.
CARNAGE: The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t only win Super Bowl LIX...
Always try to put your investment to good use. We spent the entire week in New Orleans reporting and writing everything Super Bowl LIX. Here’s the game story. It was an Eagles beatdown.
Our Top 30 NFL QBs of the Super Bowl era
OK, OK. We loathe lists. But when asked to participate in an all-time QB project, I said yes. Here’s my list. It fed a hearty debate ‘round here.
Bob McGinn’s 41st annual draft series
Nobody has ever covered the NFL Draft quite like our Hall of Fame scribe, Bob McGinn. He’s plugged in with scouts and execs across the NFL.
All links to all parts of this past year’s series are linked above.
‘I’m a sick f--k:’ Why Al-Quadin Muhammad is the missing piece for the Detroit Lions
The Lions took a disappointing step back in 2025, but this veteran pass rusher earned himself quite a payday this spring. We chronicled his wild rise.
Drake London blacks out
“That’s where I get a screw loose. The soft, gentle… don’t take that for weakness. I’m still going to try to kill you.”
We sit down with a wide receiver straight from a different era.
Congratulations Ty, Bob, Jim and crew! What a testament to your gut that long firm was the way to go at that critical moment. I’ve been a proud supporter since the start – thanks for all you do!