Gerald McCoy’s first season in Dallas has already come to an end before the season could get underway.
McCoy suffered a ruptured quadriceps tendon during the first padded practice on Monday and will miss the entirety of the 2020 season according to Cowboys Executive Vice President Stephen Jones.
Initially, it was thought that the veteran defensive tackle had torn his ACL while doing individual drills, but an MRI taken after the incident revealed the quad tear. McCoy will require season-ending surgery.
After ending his nine-year stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, McCoy turned to another NFC South team in search of employment: the Carolina Panthers. McCoy did not exactly turn heads in Charlotte, recording only 37 tackles and 5 sacks during his only season with the team. The Panthers underwent a sort of youth movement in the offseason, and the lauded veteran was forced to find a job elsewhere. Eventually, he ended up signing a three-year deal with the Cowboys to replace recent departure Maliek Collins.
McCoy, a former top-three draft pick pack in 2010, was expected to play a heavy role this season for Dallas on a defensive line that needed his veteran leadership and skill. He was expected to be a reliable starter for Dallas as he has played in at least 13 games in all but one season as a player.
Fellow offseason acquisition Dontari Poe is currently on the physically unable to perform list to start camp, so Dallas’ revamped defensive line is missing some key pieces. Not all is lost though, third round pick Neville Gallimore has an incredibly high ceiling and is poised to take over some of McCoy’s reps; while Trysten Hill has the potential to break out of that slump he was in throughout last season. Also, with Poe expected back sooner rather than later along with the addition of Everson Griffen, the Cowboys’ defensive line should have no problem creating havoc for opposing offenses all season long.
