Last week, 33-year-old defensive tackle Gerald McCoy agreed to a deal to join the Las Vegas Raiders for the upcoming 2021 season. After missing all of the 2020 season with a torn quadriceps muscle, the veteran lineman earned himself another opportunity to continue his accomplished career.
It’s been just six days since his signing was announced by the team and McCoy is already endearing himself to the Raiders faithful.
During a media session on Tuesday, McCoy called the Raiders one of the four most historic NFL franchises. He put the organization alongside the likes of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers.
McCoy’s list isn’t too bad, considering that a handful of teams can lay claim to being among the NFL’s most iconic teams. Fans of the San Fransisco 49ers or the Washington Football Team might be upset to see their franchises miss the cut, but overall the 33-year-old defensive tackle has a solid grasp on the history of the league.
Gerald McCoy puts #Raiders as one of the four most historic NFL franchises along with #Steelers, #Cowboys, and #Packers.
— Levi Damien (@LeviDamien) August 10, 2021
McCoy’s assessment of the Raiders will quickly win over the team’s fanbase who will expect him to be a reliable veteran presence on the defensive front this year. It’s been a while since the 33-year-old was at the top of his game, but he once was an All-Pro caliber player at his position, so he still has some of the necessary skills to thrive in the NFL.
Headed into his stint with the Raiders, McCoy has racked up 334 career tackles and 59.5 career sacks in 139 games.
The veteran lineman’s performance this year will depend on how fully he’s been able to recovery from the quadriceps rupture he suffered last summer. The injury was significant enough to require surgery, which sidelined McCoy for the entire 2020 season, so he’ll need to ramp back up to game speed by the time the Raiders season gets underway in a month.
If McCoy can get back into shape by early September, he should give Las Vegas a much-needed boost on the defensive line.
The post Gerald McCoy Lists NFL’s 4 Most ‘Historic’ Franchises appeared first on The Spun.
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