Jermod McCoy returning punts again.
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Las Vegas Raiders CB Jermod McCoy.
The Las Vegas Raiders put together a very promising draft class, but there is some risk. Fourth-round pick cornerback Jermod McCoy was a first-round talent, but there are major concerns about his knee.
There was talk that he would need additional surgery, which would cause him to miss the 2026 season and possibly end his career before it starts. The Raiders haven’t revealed if they’re going to push for McCoy to have the surgery or not, but for now, things are looking good.
McCoy is at OTAs and is participating in practice. He’s even practicing returning punts.
Jermod McCoy returning punts again.
It appears that he’s healthy enough to practice right now, which is a sign that he should be good to go when the season starts. It’s hard to imagine that the Raiders would be having him practice if they were leaning toward him having surgery.
If he’s going to get the procedure, he should have it as soon as possible. McCoy practicing is a good sign that he could have a chance to play his rookie season. Now, that doesn’t eliminate the concern about the knee, but it would be good news for this season. McCoy’s knee is going to be something to watch his whole career, but the early signs are looking good.
The Raiders have another cornerback on the roster who has dealt with injuries throughout his career. Eric Stokes missed a lot of games early in his career, but he played 16 games for Las Vegas last season.
This led to the Raiders giving him a new contract this offseason. He was very happy to prove that he could stay healthy and be a productive starter.
“Man, it was a good feeling. I am not even going to lie to you,” Stokes told reporters. “It was a great feeling just going out there and doing everything, it’s just so much of just proving myself again to where I know I’m like that.”
Stokes was very close to being an official draft bust. The former first-round pick of the Green Bay Packers didn’t even get a fifth year with the team. This led to him signing a small, one-year contract with the Raiders last offseason.
Thanks to his strong season, the team gave him a three-year, $30 million contract. Going through those tough times made Stokes realize that he has to appreciate everything that comes with being a professional football player.
“I appreciate this a lot,” Stokes said. “Just being here talking in front of all of you and everything, I don’t take any of this for granted anymore. The little things that I used to take for granted rookie year, I don’t take day-by-day, I don’t take practice, I don’t take a rep, I don’t take absolutely anything for granted because you know at the end of it, pretty much all of this can be gone.
“So, man, I’m embracing any and every new role that I can, going through the growing pains with it, and pretty much learning from it.”
Austin Boyd has covered the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com since 2019. A Los Angeles native now based in Las Vegas, his featured work at Heavy includes interviews with NFL stars Darren Waller and Joe Montana, and a behind-the-scenes look at "The Shop." More about Austin Boyd
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