Former Buccaneers All-Pro Makes Case For Team's Open Defensive Line Coaching Position

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Gerald McCoy wants to come back to the Bucs as a coach.

Feb 8, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Gerald McCoy on the red carpet before the NFL Honors show at Resorts World Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2024 season might be over, but that doesn't mean that football will completely disappear. The Bucs have now entered full 2025 offseason mode and that has already begun with a slew of coaching and staff moves.

The biggest name to watch for the Bucs was offensive coordinator Liam Coen potentially leaving for a head coaching opportunity. However, Coen shut down his Jaguars' interview with it being reported that Tampa Bay is going to make him one of the highest-paid coordinators in the league.

Outside of Coen, the Buccaneers are already losing pieces as assistant general manager John Spytek is expected to take the general manager position with the Las Vegas Raiders while defensive line coach and run game coordinator Kacy Rodgers is leaving the team for the Detroit Lions to take on the same role.

With the news of Rodgers leaving breaking on Thursday, FOX Sports' Greg Auman ran through a list of potential replacements with ties to head coach Todd Bowles, but it was the reply of former Bucs' defensive lineman Gerald McCoy that added a little juice to the topic as he threw his name into the hat of potential candidates.

READ MORE: Buccaneers Lose Defensive Line Coach to Detroit Lions

🤔 I may know a guy with familiarity with the city, the team, the D-line, and coaching……….

— Gerald McCoy (@Geraldini93) January 23, 2025

McCoy, who now spends his time as an NFL Network analyst, was initially drafted third overall by the Buccaneers in the 2010 NFL draft out of Oklahoma and became a legend for the franchise and city throughout his nine years in Tampa Bay. Following his nine years with the Buccaneers, McCoy only spent two more seasons in the NFL before retiring with the Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders.

McCoy lined it up perfectly for those reading, saying he'd bring "familiarity with the city, the team, the D-line, and coaching." It couldn't add up to be a more perfect fit. Despite McCoy's obvious reasons for why he should be looked at, there is one major thing missing from his arsenal — coaching experience.

While not necessarily needed, most NFL organizations prefer to have someone with coaching experience if they were to hire them. McCoy might not have the coaching experience that most would want from a coaching hire, but he possesses all the intangibles that make a great coach and his personality would fit right into the staff and locker room.

With the coaching carousel in full motion, it will be interesting to see what direction the Tampa Bay Buccaneers might take regarding filling empty roles. But one thing is for sure — no matter if McCoy gets the position or not, his undying love for this franchise will remain.

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