Being an NFL general manager isn’t always the most comfortable job, as the Buffalo Bills’ Brandon Beane illustrated by his story about cutting LeSean McCoy.
Many current and former general managers have said the cut meetings, which happen annually during the preseason, are among the hardest parts of the job. Many who get cut are young and trying desperately to get into or stay in the NFL, which can lead to some awfully emotional or, in some cases, dangerous moments.
So while on the ‘Bussin’ with the Boys’ podcast, Beane was naturally asked what the scariest or most vulnerable moment he has been in was when cutting a player.
“It wasn’t scary. I would say when we moved on from Shady McCoy here,” Beane said. “He was not thrilled, let’s just say that. It was the shortest cut meeting that I ever had. He wasn’t really interested in talking about it. He gave me a few nice words and said he’s out. At the end of the day, I still respect Shady for his career and love him. I knew it was an emotional moment for him, so I understood all that. I even reached out to him after. It is what it is, but that was an interesting one to say the least.”
McCoy played four seasons with the Bills. After a highly successful six-year stint with the Philadelphia Eagles, McCoy was traded to Buffalo, where he signed a five-year, $40 million contract. He struggled to have as consistent of success with the Bills, although he did rush for 1,267 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2016.
However, McCoy was accused of physically assaulting his girlfriend and son before the 2018 season, which proved to be his worst to date. In 2018, his carries, touchdowns, and yardage dropped significantly, and his yards-per-carry average plummeted to 3.2, a distant career-low. Although Beane initially expressed confidence that McCoy could regain his form the following year, ‘Shady’ was cut shortly before the Bills’ 2019 regular-season opener.
Although he never reached the heights he reached with the Eagles or Bills, McCoy, who did not register a single carry in the 2019 and 2020 playoffs, would go on to win back-to-back Super Bowls after his release by Buffalo. First, he won with the Kansas City Chiefs before finishing his career with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He retired from the NFL in October 2021, when he signed a one-day contract with the Eagles.
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