Gerald McCoy Retires from NFL After 11 Seasons with Bucs, Raiders, Panthers

Gerald McCoy is hanging up the cleats.

The defensive tackle announced his retirement from the NFL on Friday with a video that included highlights of his draft day and a message of thanks:

McCoy played 11 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders. He was also on the Dallas Cowboys for a time in 2020 but never appeared in a game.

The 35-year-old will be best remembered for his time with the Buccaneers.

Tampa Bay selected him out of Oklahoma with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2010 NFL draft, and he played for the team for nine seasons. Those nine seasons included six consecutive Pro Bowl selections from 2012-17, a First Team All-Pro nod in 2013 and 54.5 total sacks.

He was a disruptive force in the middle of the defensive line who could generate pressure in the quarterback's face, stuff holes against the run and occupy double teams to open up blitzing lanes for his teammates.

The team responded to his retirement announcement:

McCoy remained effective during his one season in Carolina in 2019 with five sacks, but injuries became an issue in the aftermath.

Dallas released him ahead of the 2020 campaign after he underwent season-ending surgery on the ruptured right quadriceps tendon he suffered in practice. He signed with the Raiders for the 2021 season but appeared in just one game because of a knee injury.

The Oklahoma product did not play in 2022.

Despite the injury issues later in his career, McCoy will always be a Buccaneers legend. Only Hall of Famers Derrick Brooks (11) and Warren Sapp (seven) have more Pro Bowl selections in team history, while only Sapp, Simeon Rice and Lee Roy Selmon had more sacks.