Las Vegas Raiders rookie cornerback Jermod McCoy was excited to finally get back on the football field in a competitive game for the first time in more than 18 months when he made his pro debut Thursday night.
While it will be a memory he will carry with him for a lifetime, there were a few moments he’d probably like to forget.
McCoy was caught on an island in coverage for both of Gardner Minshew’s short touchdown passes in the second quarter of Arizona’s 27-14 victory over the Raiders.
“You just have to learn from it,” McCoy said. “First NFL game and I hadn’t played in a long time. I know it happens and it’s part of the game when you’re playing (defensive back), but you have to learn from it and get better from it.”
Minshew hit Simi Fehoko for a 10-yard touchdown on a play where Fehoko created a bit of separation with a short shove of McCoy.
Later in the quarter, Minshew connected with Jalen Brooks on a back-shoulder throw in almost the same spot in the end zone with Brooks also creating a bit of space with his off hand.
It was two lessons in physicality and positioning that McCoy, who won’t turn 21 until Sunday, will certainly take with him.
“You have to have a short memory,” he said. “You want to move on. But you also have to learn from it and use it as fuel going forward.”
McCoy has already felt himself grow quite a bit in his time with the Raiders. McCoy was one of the best corners in the country in 2024 and would likely have been a top-1o pick as the best cornerback in the draft had he not missed all of last season after undergoing a knee surgery that some teams questioned whether it was healing properly.
He said with the management program the Raiders have had him on during his rehab that he has grown in both his mental and physical toughness.
McCoy is doing everything he can to get back to being the dominant player he was before the injury.
While he knows there will be growing pains, he also doesn’t want to rest on the elite work he has put on tape in the past because he knows that really doesn’t matter to what he’s trying to do now as a pro.
“It’s not something I think about because at the end of the day, I have to put it out on the field now,” said McCoy, who had several good reps Thursday as well. “I just have to put my best foot forward and show it.”
He plans to do that, starting with his next opportunity.
For now, McCoy is trying to appreciate the fact he was even able to play football again even if he didn’t get the results he wanted.
“It was definitely an exciting moment to play again,” he said. “For sure.”
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
