Getty Former Raiders DL Gerald McCoy.
There are few defensive tackles who have had more success over the past decade than Gerald McCoy. The former third overall pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has been to six Pro Bowls and was named to three All-Pro teams. Unfortunately, he was bit hard by the injury bug toward the end of his career.
McCoy spent his last season with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021 but was only able to play in one game before suffering a season-ending injury. He didn’t land with a team in 2022 and has decided to call it a career. McCoy announced on his verified Twitter account that he is retiring from the NFL.
THANK YOU!!!
McCoy also spent a brief time with the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys after his nine seasons in Tampa Bay. He retires with 59.5 career sacks and 86 tackles for loss. He’s one of the greatest defensive players in Buccanneers history. His six Pro Bowl selections are tied for third-most in franchise history and his 54.5 sacks are fourth-most in team history. McCoy has been active doing media in the past so perhaps he has a future in front of the camera. He is retiring at the age of 35.
Injuries Derailed McCoy’s Career
When McCoy joined the Raiders in 2021, he was fired up. He had missed the entirety of the 2020 season with an injury and was hoping to make a comeback. After his first practice with the Raiders, he was hyped to play football for the first time in 20 months.
Wow wow wow!! 20 months off and today I was blessed enough to get back out there!! What a feeling man just being back in my element. Everything on my body hurts and I LOVE IT!! I love this game!!
The excitement was short-lived. McCoy joined the Raiders but wasn’t guaranteed a roster spot. However, he quickly proved to the team that he had some juice left in the tank. He was expected to have a big role on the defense but in Week 1 of the 2021 season against the Baltimore Ravens, McCoy had to be carted off the field due to a knee injury. That would end up being his last time on the football field as a player. His season was ended and so was his career. The Raiders were able to stay afloat and make the playoffs that season but McCoy may have helped have even more success. Though he only played a small handful of snaps in Las Vegas, he brought a lot of leadership to a young defense.
What’s Next for McCoy?
According to Spotrac, McCoy earned $122 million over his career. He’s got more than enough money to enjoy retirement. However, he could have some plans to stay active. As noted earlier, he has done his fair share of media. It’s entirely possible he has a career talking about football. That would be a great fit for the former star defender.
Also, McCoy clearly loves football. That was evident by how excited he was to join the Raiders after 20 months off. Perhaps coaching could be in his future. There’s no doubt he has a lot of good connections around the NFL. The biggest question is if McCoy will be a Hall of Famer. If he didn’t have all those injury issues toward the end of his career, he almost certainly would’ve been a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He may have to wait a little longer now but he’s got a good case. There was a six-year stretch from 2012 to 2017 where he was one of the best defenders in the NFL.