Jermod McCoy takes lessons from tough Raiders debut which he’ll ‘use as fuel’

Las Vegas Raiders rookie cornerback Jermod McCoy said he was eager to return to the field for a competitive game after more than 18 months away, making his NFL debut on Thursday night. He acknowledged the experience will stay with him forever, though a few moments are ones he would rather forget. McCoy was beaten on coverage for a pair of Gardner Minshew touchdown passes in the second quarter of Arizona’s 27‑14 victory over Las Vegas. “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 connected with Simi Fehoko for a 10‑yard score on a play where Fehoko created separation with a brief shove on McCoy. Later in the quarter, Minshew found Jalen Brooks on a back‑shoulder throw in roughly the same area of the end zone, with Brooks also carving out space using his off hand. Those two snaps served as lessons in physicality and positioning for McCoy, who will not turn 21 until Sunday, and he said he will certainly carry them forward. “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 noted he has already sensed improvement during his time with the Raiders. He was regarded as one of the nation’s top corners in 2024 and likely would have been a top‑10 draft pick as the premier cornerback had he not missed the entire previous season after knee surgery that some teams questioned was healing correctly. He credited the Raiders’ rehabilitation program for helping him develop both mentally and physically. McCoy is doing everything possible to return to the dominant form he displayed before the injury. While he anticipates continued growing pains, he said he does not want to rely on past accomplishments because they have no bearing on his current professional goals. “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 added he had several solid repetitions on Thursday as well. “I just have to put my best foot forward and show it.” He intends to do exactly that, beginning with his next opportunity. For the moment, McCoy is simply grateful to be able to play football again, even if the results were not what he hoped for. “It was definitely an amazing moment to play again,” he said. “For sure.”