Although Gerald McCoy spent the vast majority of his career terrorizing the Carolina Panthers as a divisional foe, he did settle into Charlotte and endear himself to fans for one pretty solid season. And now, that accomplished career has officially come to an end.
On Friday morning, the 35-year-old defensive tackle became a former defensive tackle—announcing his retirement in a touching video he posted to Twitter.
THANK YOU!!! pic.twitter.com/NxE9K4TfJK
— Gerald McCoy (@Geraldini93) April 14, 2023
McCoy was drafted with the third overall selection of the 2010 NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The University of Oklahoma star shined his way right into the league—collecting one First-team All-Pro nod (2013), two Second-team All-Pro nods (2014, 2016) and six consecutive Pro Bowl selections from 2012 to 2017.
After becoming one of the greatest defensive lineman in Buccaneers history over a prolific nine-year tenure, McCoy then signed a one-year deal with the Panthers for the 2019 campaign. He’d go on to amass 37 combined tackles and 5.0 sacks over 16 starts.
Injuries, beginning with a ruptured quadriceps, would shorten McCoy’s career—which saw additional stops with the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders. He played in just one game, in 2021 with Las Vegas, following his stint in Carolina.
