After offseason disagreement, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have decided to call it quits with legendary defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.
The Bucs announced on Monday that they had released McCoy, who spent the past nine seasons as the anchor of Tampa’s defense.
Tampa Bay will save $39 million by releasing McCoy, who had three more years left on his contract. With McCoy at 31 years old, the Bucs and new head coach Bruce Arians decided to cut their ties with a franchise legend due to a possible impending decline.
The release comes on the heels of Arians’ controversial comments about McCoy after his hiring. The new coach said about McCoy that, “He’s not as disruptive as he was four years ago, but he’s still a good player.”
McCoy fired back on Instagram with this post:
After the offseason mess and Tampa’s commitment to retooling, it seemed best for both parties to move on.
McCoy will now be free to sign with any team he wants and go play with a championship contender for the first time in his career.
The 31-year-old made six Pro Bowls and was named an All-Pro selection three times in his time with the Bucs.
