Report: Buffalo Bills RB LeSean McCoy may not return until midseason
It was fair to question the Buffalo Bills’ trade for LeSean McCoy in the moment this past March.
Now? It looks worse with each passing week. McCoy suffered a setback in his recovery from an Aug. 18 hamstring injury, as an MRI revealed a new tear, according to Fox Sports columnist Mike Garafolo.
McCoy addressed the setback suffered during practice on Sept. 24 for the first time on Friday.
“One thing I just promised myself is I can’t go out there if I’m not 100 percent,” McCoy said. “Whatever it is, I’m rushing to get back, but I’m not playing until I’m 100 percent.”
He attempted to play through the pain in Week 3, but managed just 16 yards on 11 carries against a Miami Dolphins defense that gave up 166 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries to New York Jets running back Chris Ivory on Sunday. McCoy has rushed for 146 yards on 43 carries and has not scored this season. If he insists on a full recovery before returning to the field, it could be Week 8 before the Bills see him again.
Meanwhile, the Bills were struggling to gain yardage on the ground against the New York Giants on Sunday.
The Bills dealt promising young linebacker Kiko Alonso to the Philadelphia Eagles for the three-time Pro Bowl running back, and then handed McCoy a five-year, $40 million contract extension that guarantees him $16 million this season — the same figure former Buffalo back C.J. Spiller is slated to make through 2019. Granted, Alonso has also suffered a setback, but he’s due less than $2 million through next season.
McCoy’s arrival spelled the end of longtime Bills running back Fred Jackson, whose $2.5 million salary was cut from Buffalo’s payroll during the preseason. McCoy is still just 27 years old and just two years removed from leading the NFL in rushing yards (1,607) and yards from scrimmage (2,146) for the Eagles. Even if he returns to form, he still won’t be worth the $26.5 million he’s guaranteed over the course of his contract.
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Ben Rohrbach is a contributor for Ball Don’t Lie and Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach
