Eagles' Chris Long says players have shown they can balance social activism and their jobs

Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long says that he and others around the league, including teammate Malcolm Jenkins, have shown that players can be active in social issues off the field without harming their on-field product.

"Somebody asked me, Does this prove you can worry about your off-field engagements and effectively do your job on the field? I think it's a great example of how players can manage time so well," he said during a conference call Tuesday to discuss the NFL's partnership with the Players Coalition to publicize the players' work on social and racial equality. "I mentioned, after a Monday night game, we hopped on a train in the early morning to go to Harrisburg."

The Super Bowl-bound Eagles have been among the most active on the social justice front. Jenkins is the co-founder of the Players Coalition, which joined a partnership with the NFL to create a platform for social activism prior to Week 13. Owners earmarked $89 million over a seven-year period for the project, according to ESPN's Jim Trotter and Jason Reid. The final structure includes plans for digital content, brand spots, social media support and individual letters from players and owners describing why social justice is a priority.

"That's a question that I think would best be answered by my teammates," Jenkins said when asked if this year has proven that his off-field efforts haven't been a distraction. "It's easy for me to say it's not a distraction, but obviously, it has not hindered anything that we've done on the field.

"There's nothing that says you can't be active and love the community and fight for your community and not do your job."

Jenkins, Long and Torrey Smith took a trip to Harrisburg to champion for criminal justice reform hours after their Monday Night Football Game against the Washington Redskins in October. There have been meetings in New York with the NFL and remotely with others in the Players Coalition on top of individual community work.

Yet the Eagles finished the season 13-3, claimed the top seed in the NFC and are playing in Super Bowl LII against the New England Patriots. Jenkins, who was named to his second Pro Bowl this year, expects that players will use this stage to amplify their message.

"The further you go, the bigger the platform. Obviously, the Super Bowl and everything that comes with that is a huge platform," he said. "I'll be preparing for this game, to be honest, but I think you'll see other guys around the league leading those conversations ... I know the coalition will be pretty active out there [at the Super Bowl]. So hopefully the platform these players have, they'll use it and stand on it to fight for those who don't quite have that voice."

ESPN's Kevin Seifert contributed to this report.