It appears as though yet another era has come to an end in Tampa Bay. According to a Monday evening report from Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers plan to release veteran defensive tackle, Gerald McCoy.
After spending the first nine seasons of his NFL playing career as a member of the NFC South franchise, McCoy now appears slated to become an unrestricted free agent ahead of the looming 2019 campaign.
BREAKING: DT Gerald McCoy has been informed by the Bucs of their plans to release him after nine seasons. The team decided not to pay him the $13-million salary he was owed for 2019.
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) May 20, 2019
The Buccaneers originally selected the 31-year-old defensive tackle with the No. 3 overall pick in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma. Spending nearly a decade with the franchise, McCoy has appeared in 123 career regular season games as it stands today while notably producing 54.5 sacks during that same span.
Now primed to move on to his second NFL home, McCoy has also tallied 297 total tackles, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and 21 pass defenses as a professional defensive lineman.
As for the typically lowly Buccaneers, the NFC South franchise is looking to turn things around in a hurry as Tampa Bay welcomes a new head coach to the fold. With former Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians now in charge in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers are looking to reach the postseason for the first time since all the way back in 2007 — though the NFC South is currently one of the best divisions in the league.
Last season, Tampa Bay finished the regular season at a dismal 5-11 en route to garnering the No. 5 overall pick in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
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