The Philadelphia Eagles all-time leading rusher is coming home. Finally. LeSean McCoy will sign a one-day contract with the franchise that drafted him and officially retire as a member of the organization.
The elusive back known as “Shady” racked up 11,102 rushing yards – 6,792 of them coming in a midnight green jersey – and 89 total touchdowns in 12 NFL seasons. McCoy won back-to-back Super Bowl rings to end his career, one with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 and another with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. He was originally selected 53rd overall by the Eagles in 2009.
McCoy, a Harrisburg native, will attend Eagles practice on Friday (Oct. 1) where he will meet with Philly reporters. The six-time Pro Bowler will also be recognized as the Eagles Legend of the Game on Sunday (Oct. 3) at Lincoln Financial Field. The fans will get a final bow from arguably the greatest running back in franchise history.
“LeSean possessed a unique combination of speed, elusiveness, and an exceptional playmaking ability that made him one of the most dynamic players in the league, and one of the most productive players in the history of our franchise,” owner Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement. “LeSean carried himself with a rare blend of confidence and youthful enthusiasm, but he also was driven by a desire to be one of the all-time greats at the running back position, and that’s what made him such an exciting player to be around and watch every week.”
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Canton Calling? Westbrook Thinks So
McCoy will be inducted into the Eagles’ Hall of Fame in due time. That’s a given. The next debate will be over whether the 33-year-old deserves a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The benchmark for running backs is around 12,000 career rushing yards, leaving McCoy 898 yards shy of that milestone.
The two-time All-Pro got a ringing endorsement from his former teammate Brian Westbrook last year during an interview with Heavy. Westbrook, who ranks third all-time in franchise rushing yards, thinks McCoy should be fitted for a Gold Jacket.
“In my opinion, he is a Hall of Famer,” Westbrook told Heavy. “But I can see how some voters may look at him just coming short of that 12,000-yard mark as far as to hold him out of the Hall of Fame. But he’s done everything for me to prove he’s a game-changer, especially in his time period, that he should be considered for the Hall of Fame.”
Shady Pens Love Letter to Eagles Fans
McCoy bared his soul in a love letter to Eagles fans on the team’s official website. In it, the shifty running back lays out his reasons for retiring while declaring: “I still have that green inside my heart.”
McCoy never wanted to leave Philly in the first place – blame Chip Kelly for that debacle – and admits that he always felt “weird not wearing that uniform” after the controversial trade. McCoy wrote the following:
Philadelphia, you embraced me from day one, welcomed me in with open arms both on and off the field. It’s a special place for me and always will be. To retire as an Eagle and be an Eagle for life is really important to me. I can’t wait to see everyone this Sunday.
I love Philadelphia because I came from that type of environment. Philly can be tough. You demand a lot from us, but I loved that. I like a challenge. If you’re not happy, I always looked at it as, “Let’s respond and find a way to play better.”
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