Long was signed to be the next great Jets center in the mold of Nick Mangold and recent Hall of Fame enshrinee Kevin Mawae. However, the former Redskins offensive lineman suffered through finger and leg injuries and struggled with shotgun snaps throughout the early part of the season. He was briefly benched in Week 13 for Jonotthan Harrison because of the latter. From Week 14 through 16, Long played left guard while Harrison played center; they swapped back in the season finale.