Gerald McCoy says Buccaneers giving away his number showed a lack of respect
We already received an indication that Gerald McCoy was less than happy with how his Tampa Bay Buccaneers tenure ended when the Pro Bowl defensive tackle signed with a division rival in the Carolina Panthers.
Now, the NFL veteran has gone out and said it.
Gerald McCoy on Bucs split: ‘The respect ... it just wasn’t there’
During an appearance on Fox Sports’ “Undisputed,” McCoy discussed his split with the Bucs, and he didn’t sound very happy with the franchise where he spent the first nine years of his career.
The main point of McCoy’s ire was the fact that the Bucs immediately gave his No. 93 to new signee Ndamakong Suh, who is widely seen as McCoy’s replacement after signing a one-year deal.
Via NFL.com:
"As far as signing him, organizations have to do what they have to do when you let a player of my caliber go, so I understand that," McCoy said. "But as far as giving away my number, in the history of the Bucs, they have a ring of honor, and all of the greatest players in the organization usually get their numbers retired."
McCoy listed a number of Buccaneers greats whose numbers went untouched after leaving, and seemed to think his résumé was a natural fit among the group. The number issue seemed to be symptomatic of the larger issue for McCoy: Respect.
"When [Warren] Sapp left, John Lynch, [Derrick Brooks], Lee Roy Selmon, Ronde Barber, when all these guys left, nobody wore their number," McCoy said. "They didn't give their number away, and it was a sign of respect. Well, six Pro Bowls, All-Pro four times. This is Tampa Bay and I'm one of the best players to ever play in the organization. I'm going to say it, usually I wouldn't, but I'm going to say it, so what. It kind of shows the respect and how they feel about me.”
Added McCoy: "Them giving the number away, that's their prerogative. It would be different if it was a guy who signed four or five years. This is a one-year deal. You said because he caused a problem or he really asked for the number and we gave it to him. I mean, it may seem like it's just a number, but it's bigger than that. It's respect, and that was a big part of the separation between me and Tampa, period, was the respect they showed to me all offseason, it just wasn't there."
The Buccaneers released McCoy last month, unceremoniously ending a nine-year tenure to save $13 million in cap space. McCoy ranks third on the franchise’s all-time sack list with 54.5, while also posting 79 tackles for loss and 140 QB hits.
McCoy quickly became a highly sought-after free agent, flirting with the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns before signing a one-year deal worth a maximum of $10.25 million with Carolina.
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