After barely seeing the field in 2020—he logged just 10 carries as the Bucs’ fourth-string back—it’s possible, if not likely, six-time Pro Bowler LeSean McCoy has played his final NFL snap. The veteran acknowledged that possibility while appearing as a guest on All Things Covered, a CBS Sports podcast hosted by All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson and his former Cardinals teammate, Bryant McFadden.
“If it’s not the right team, I’m going to retire,” said McCoy, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Buccaneers and Chiefs, though he didn’t see the field in either game. “Had a nice run at it. Hopefully I get a gold jacket.”
Third among active players in career rushing yards behind only Frank Gore and Adrian Peterson, Shady will go down as one of the most productive players of his era, compiling six 1,000-yard seasons including 2013, when he captured his first and only rushing title (career-high 1,607 yards on 314 carries). But did he accomplish enough in his 12 seasons to achieve HOF status? While most would consider McCoy a fringe Hall-of-Famer, the 32-year-old believes his NFL resume speaks for itself.
“I got stats. I got two championships,” said McCoy, arguing for his inclusion in Canton. “A lot of these dudes have three or four good years and they make them the greatest. I’ve been the best in my decade-plus. Everybody can’t say that.”
At his peak, McCoy was undoubtedly among the NFL's top performers, but he contributed little to his two championship teams, functioning as a scarcely-used backup for both the Chiefs in 2019 and Tampa Bay this past season. Dominant as he was during his stints with Philadelphia and Buffalo, McCoy labeling himself the best running back of his decade also seems like a stretch. McCoy’s 89 touchdowns (73 rushing, 16 receiving) and 15,000 yards from scrimmage are nothing to sneeze at, but was he definitively better than his contemporaries Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch and Frank Gore? That’s debatable.
Personally, I’d put McCoy in the Hall of Very Good, though recency bias may be clouding my judgment. While McCoy’s career appears all but over, his Bucs teammate Tom Brady looks like he has plenty left in the tank.
“Four,” said McCoy when asked how many more years he expects Brady to play. “He can play four good years.” Playing into his late 40s is an ambitious goal, but if anyone could pull it off, it’s Touchdown Tom.
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