LeSean McCoy - Pro Football Rumors

LeSean McCoy “Could See” Himself With Eagles

May 13th, 2020 at 2:24pm CST by Zachary Links

This week, we learned that the Eagles are interested in Carlos Hyde. Could their search for a veteran running back lead them to old friend LeSean McCoy instead?

“I could see that,” McCoy told the NFL Network on Wednesday (h/t Reuben Frank of NBC Sports Philadelphia). “On another note, since I left, you haven’t seen the [No.] 25 active in green, so you never know. I’m going to keep my options open, though. I could see myself there in Philly. Like I said, that’s home, so you never know.”

Shady spent his first four seasons with the Eagles where he did some of his finest work. With the Birds, McCoy earned three trips to the Pro Bowl and twice earned First-Team All-Pro honors (2011, 2013). In 2013, he led the league with 1,607 yards on the ground – more than 100 yards per game. He also added 52 catches for 539 yards that year, just for good measure.

Last year, the Bills dropped McCoy just before the start of the season. Soon after, he was scooped up by Andy Reid‘s Chiefs on a one-year, $3MM deal. Before that, the Eagles, Patriots, and Chargers all touched base with the six-time Pro Bowler.

His Chiefs season ended with a Super Bowl, but the campaign was a weird one on the whole. Early on, he saw 10-plus touches in seven of the Chiefs’ first eight games. Later, he missed time, and he was hardly seen down the stretch. Still, McCoy averaged 4.6 yards per carry in 2019, after a career-worst 3.2 YPC figure with the Bills in 2018. He could be an interesting addition to the Eagles backfield, especially if they can’t strike a deal with Hyde.

Extra Points: McCoy, Kamalu, Sanders

April 10th, 2020 at 6:28pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Lesean McCoy had the least productive year of his career this past season, but he won’t be hanging up his cleats. Even though it’s been reported the Chiefs won’t be bringing him back, McCoy still plans to play in 2020, he confirmed in a recent interview with Sirius XM NFL Radio (Twitter link). McCoy said that he’s been in talks with a few teams, and that he wants to go to a “winning franchise.” When asked by the hosts how long he wanted to keep going McCoy said “I really just want to play two more years,” but then added that he wouldn’t put a ceiling on it.

Interestingly, McCoy said it was ageless-wonder Frank Gore who gave him that last piece of advice. McCoy, who had only 465 yards rushing in 13 games with Kansas City, will turn 32 in July. His role decreased down the stretch, and he was a healthy scratch for the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory. A six-time Pro Bowler, McCoy was recently named to the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade team and had the most rushing yards of any player in the decade.

Here’s more from around the league:

Defensive end Ufomba Kamalu was released by the Ravens two days ago, and now we know why. Kamalu was arrested on a domestic violence charge, according to a release from Baltimore county officials. Officers spoke to a woman who “suffered from a visible injury” after an argument from Kamalu, and issued an arrest warrant for him. An undrafted free agent from Miami back in 2016, Baltimore signed him off the Patriots’ practice squad in October. Kamalu is likely facing league discipline should his legal situation get resolved and another team is interested.
The Saints got their number two receiver behind Michael Thomas when they signed Emmanuel Sanders a few weeks ago, and now we’ve got the full details on the deal. Sanders got a two-year, $16MM pact, but no money in the second year is guaranteed, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweets. Both 2020 and 2021 have base values of $8MM, and there are reception incentives of up to $1.5MM in each year. They also added a third year that automatically voids to spread the cap hit, so his cap number for 2020 is only $4MM. The Saints are clearly gearing up for one last Super Bowl run with Drew Brees, and they’ll be able to get out of Sanders’ contract after this season if they want to. Sanders has remained productive in recent years, but he turned 33 last month.

Chiefs Will Not Retain LeSean McCoy

March 5th, 2020 at 6:58pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chiefs are not expected to re-sign free agent running back LeSean McCoy for the 2020 campaign, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (video link).

McCoy, 31, has maintain that he wants to play in the NFL next season, and there could be interest in him on the free agent market. Specifically, Garafolo mentions that McCoy could potentially forge a homecoming with the Eagles, while the Chargers could also express interest. Los Angeles head coach Anthony Lynn was in Buffalo alongside McCoy, and that connection could prove valuable.

McCoy was cut by the Bills just ahead of his 11th NFL season, but Kansas City quickly reached out to the veteran back and landed him via a one-year, $3MM deal. Despite his relationship with Andy Reid, McCoy simply never became a large part of the Chiefs’ high-flying offense. While he handled double-digit carries in three of KC’s first four games, he only exceeded 10 totes twice over the rest of the year.

After missing several games with a rib injury, McCoy became a healthy inactive near the end the regular season and through the Chiefs’ Super Bowl run, as Kansas City instead turned to Damian Williams and Darwin Thompson in its backfield.

All told, McCoy rushed 101 times (the fewest attempts of his career) for 465 yards and four touchdowns during his debut Chiefs season. Through the air, McCoy managed 28 receptions for 161 yards and another score. Among the 45 NFL backs with at least 100 carries, McCoy ranked 25th in success rate, which measures the frequency of plays in which McCoy increased Kansas City’s expected points.

LeSean McCoy To Be Inactive For Super Bowl?

February 1st, 2020 at 12:43pm CST by Ben Levine

LeSean McCoy might not be active for his first career Super Bowl appearance. League sources told NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport that the Chiefs running back may be inactive tomorrow (Twitter link). Rapoport notes that the veteran is healthy and ready to play, but while nothing’s been finalized, it sounds like McCoy won’t be on the active roster.

This isn’t incredibly surprising news, as McCoy was inactive for the AFC Championship game after having played only a single snap during the Divisional Round. However, there was some optimism that Andy Reid would make him active for the big game, especially since the team would otherwise be rostering only two running backs. Damien Williams has taken hold of the gig atop the depth chart, with Darwin Thompson left as the lone backup at the position.

The six-time Pro Bowler joined the Chiefs this past preseason after getting cut by the Bills, choosing Kansas City over suitors like the Patriots, Eagles, and Chargers. Initially, McCoy carved out an immediate role. He saw 10-plus touches in seven of the Chiefs’ first eight games but wound up a healthy scratch and battled an illness at times over the past two-plus months. In total, Shady rushed for 465 yards and four scores on 101 carries (he also added another 28 receptions for 181 yards and one touchdown).

While tomorrow’s potential move could seemingly lead to retirement, McCoy said earlier this week that he has no intention of hanging up his cleats.

“Nah, I’m not ready to retire yet,” McCoy said. “I still can play. So, I’m not going to retire yet, but that day is coming.”

As Rapoport opines, the organization may use McCoy’s roster spot on a position of need. The reporter specifically points to the defensive line as a potential “key area” considering the 49ers rushing attack.

LeSean McCoy Aiming To Return Next Season

January 28th, 2020 at 6:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chiefs have at times used LeSean McCoy as their top running back this season, but at other junctures, the decorated back has barely played for the AFC champions. McCoy has played just one playoff snap.

However, the former Eagles and Bills Pro Bowler wants to return for what would be a 12th season in 2020.

“Nah, I’m not ready to retire yet,” McCoy said, via NFL.com. “I still can play. So, I’m not going to retire yet, but that day is coming.”

Shortly after his Bills release, McCoy signed a one-year, $3MM deal with the Chiefs. A four-team derby that also included the Patriots, Chargers and Eagles ended with the six-time Pro Bowler choosing to reunite with Andy Reid in Kansas City.

Initially, McCoy carved out an immediate role. He saw 10-plus touches in seven of the Chiefs’ first eight games but wound up a healthy scratch and battled an illness at times over the past two-plus months. Shady has not seen a carry since Week 15, and the Chiefs have used Damien Williams almost exclusively as their postseason back.

Still, the interest that came McCoy’s way late in free agency may be indicative of at least one more contract coming in March. McCoy averaged 4.6 yards per carry this season, after a career-worst 3.2 YPC figure with a limited Bills team in 2018. After logging 200-plus carries in each season from 2010-17, McCoy has not topped 170 in each of the past two years. He will enter free agency with 2,950 career touches (third-most among active backs) and will be 32 by Week 1 of the 2020 season.

AFC West Notes: Chiefs, McCoy, Raiders

December 5th, 2019 at 9:32pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a quick spin around the AFC West:

Chiefs running back LeSean McCoy has settled a lawsuit with his former girlfriend in which she accused him of orchestrating an attack against her in 2018, according to a report from the Associated Press. Delicia Gordon claimed McCoy failed to protect her from being robbed, bloodied, and beaten in a July incident, and later revised her lawsuit to allege McCoy abused her and organized the assault. McCoy, for his part, has denied the allegations, never been charged with a crime, and was never suspended or placed on the commissioner’s exempt list by the NFL.
The Raiders could potentially be without one of their best offensive players when they face the Titans on Sunday. Rookie running back Josh Jacobs recently indicated on Snapchat that he’s been playing through a fractured shoulder, and he’s now missed consecutive practices, per Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com (Twitter link). With Oakland’s postseason odds dwindling (11%, per FiveThirtyEight), the Raiders could opt to hold Jacobs out. Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington would be in line for more work if Jacobs missed Week 14.
In case you missed it, the Chiefs placed running back Darrell Williams on injured reserve this week and replaced him by signing old friend Spencer Ware.
Broncos edge rusher Von Miller may miss another game while nursing a hamstring strain. Miller previously hadn’t been sidelined for a contest since tearing his ACL in 2013.

AFC West Notes: McCoy, Bolles, Joseph

November 10th, 2019 at 3:57pm CST by Marc Delucchi

The Chiefs listed running back LeSean McCoy as a healthy scratch for their 35-32 loss to the Titans as part of a predetermined schedule to rest him, according to James Palmer of NFL.com. Without McCoy, Damien Williams received a larger portion of snaps and had a costly fumble in the team’s upset loss.

Given the outcome Kansas City may have second thoughts about their decision, but the organization wants to have McCoy as fresh as possible for the last season and playoff push. At 6-4, the Chiefs remain atop the AFC West and will hope McCoy can make up for their loss in future contributions.

Here’s some more from around the AFC West:

Left tackle Garett Bolles has struggled mightily for the Broncos this season. In his weekly mailbag, Ryan O’Hallaran of The Denver Post explained that the early-season injury to right tackle Ja’Wuan James might have saved his job. James’ injury forced swing tackle Elijah Wilkinson into full-time duty and left Denver without a solid Plan B behind Bolles. If James finds his way back onto the field, Wilkinson may be able to push for snaps on the opposite side of the line.
Safety Karl Joseph had begun establishing himself as a difference-maker in the Raiders secondary this season before he suffered a season-ending injury. With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, the Raiders might have been inclined to negotiate an extension. However, given the uncertainty surrounding his health, Jerry McDonald of The Mercury News expects the team to let him hit free-agency this season and try to re-sign him at market value.

Chiefs Notes: Hill, Fisher, Williams, McCoy

September 19th, 2019 at 6:18pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tyreek Hill‘s three-year, $54MM Chiefs extension comes with a host of conditions that protect the team, and more Chiefs-friendly stipulations in the controversial wide receiver’s deal have come to light. The All-Pro talent received $22MM-plus in full guarantees, but this contract would allow the Chiefs to void those if any additional trouble comes Hill’s way, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports. Were Hill to be suspended or placed on the commissioner’s exempt list at any point, his guarantees will void. Hill’s fully guaranteed figure ranks behind 11 wideouts’, including Sammy Watkins‘ $30MM.

The Chiefs have made this a year-to-year proposition, with Hill’s deal calling for league-minimum base salaries from 2019-21. The bulk of this deal’s money stands to come via bonuses. Hill has a $15.2MM roster bonus for the 2020 season, but JLC notes that money is not due until February 2021 — near the end of the 2020 league year. This would allow the team to avoid that bonus payment, should Hill encounter more off-field issues. The same structure is in place in 2021, with a $9.75MM roster bonus due in February 2022. The Chiefs hold an option for Hill’s 2022 season.

Hill pleaded guilty to striking his pregnant girlfriend, Crystal Espinal, while at Oklahoma State and fell to the fifth round as a result. The Chiefs were set to negotiate what would almost certainly have been a more player-friendly deal in March of this year, but Hill’s ensuing trouble (for which he was not suspended) sidetracked those plans and led to this complex contract.

Here is the latest out of Kansas City:

Eric Fisher will miss his first start in six years on Sunday. The Chiefs left tackle underwent core muscle surgery this week in Philadelphia, Adam Teicher of ESPN.com tweets. Fisher, who suffered a groin injury in practice last week but started against the Raiders, will miss Sunday’s game against the Ravens and likely more time as he recovers. He has not been placed on IR. Cam Erving will start at left tackle against the Ravens, though Andy Reid has said standout right tackle Mitchell Schwartz could move to the left edge if need be. The 2013 No. 1 overall pick, Fisher has not missed a start since his rookie season.
Damien Williams has now missed two practices with a knee injury, pointing to either a Week 3 absence or a game-time decision. Making matters more complicated for the three-time defending AFC West champions, LeSean McCoy is also battling an injury. Shady is dealing with ankle trouble and did not practice Wednesday. He looks to have a better chance of playing Sunday, however. The Chiefs have Darrel Williams and rookie Darwin Thompson on their roster as well.
The Chiefs are one of a few teams that have made “substantive inquiries” on Jalen Ramsey.

Chiefs Sign LeSean McCoy

September 1st, 2019 at 8:30am CST by Rory Parks

LeSean McCoy‘s stay on the open market didn’t last long. Released by the Bills yesterday, Shady immediately drew interest from four teams, and as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports, McCoy will sign with the Chiefs. Terez A. Paylor of Yahoo! Sports says it will be a one-year, $3MM pact with incentives that can increase the value to $4MM (Twitter link).

Paylor adds in a separate tweet that the Chargers offered McCoy a similar contract, but McCoy opted to head to Kansas City due to his familiarity with head coach Andy Reid and the club’s front office. McCoy spent the first four years of his career under Reid when both men were with the Eagles.

The Chiefs’ decision to sign McCoy suggests that they were not entirely comfortable with presumptive RB1 Damien Williams taking the lion’s share of the carries. McCoy and Williams — much to the chagrin of Williams fantasy owners — will likely share the load, with sixth-round rookie Darwin Thompson and second-year player Darrel Williams in support.

McCoy struggled in 2018, which turned out to be his final year in Buffalo, but the Bills’ O-line was a mess. The six-time Pro Bowler is definitely nearing the end of the road, but he did top 1,000 yards in each of his prior two seasons with the Bills, and with a dynamic offense around him and younger players to ease some of his burden, there is reason to believe that he can be productive for the Chiefs in 2019.

McCoy, 31, has 10,606 career rushing yards, good for 25th on the all-time list.

Four Teams Interested In LeSean McCoy

August 31st, 2019 at 5:47pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Chiefs are going to face some competition if they plan on pursuing LeSean McCoy. McCoy was cut by the Bills earlier this morning, and we heard soon after that Kansas City had some interest.

The Chargers, Eagles, and Patriots are also showing strong early interest in McCoy, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). As Rapoport points out, the Chargers are interested because of the ongoing Melvin Gordon holdout. Just a few hours ago, it was reported that the Chargers had given Gordon permission to seek a trade. As of right now, Los Angeles is slated to roll with youngsters Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson if Gordon doesn’t report for the regular season.

The Eagles traded for Jordan Howard earlier this offseason and drafted Miles Sanders in the second-round back in April, but they apparently aren’t satisfied completely with their running back group. The position was a weakness all of last year for them, so it makes sense why they’d want to bolster it as much as possible. McCoy, of course, started his career with the Eagles and spent his first six years in Philly, so there’s some familiarity there.

The Patriots have Sony Michel topping the depth chart, James White as their pass-catching specialist, and they also drafted Damien Harris in the third-round. All of these suitors are projected playoff teams, so it looks like McCoy will have his pick of contenders when he chooses where to play in 2019.