For a franchise legend who has openly campaigned for a return, Gerald McCoy’s love for the Buccaneers failed to pay off. It seems like once again, the team’s hierarchy, such as GM Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles, were forced to make the difficult decision and turn down the 37-year-old.

Now, veteran McCoy has decided to take his futile attempts to social media.

“Dang Tampa I actually asked to comeback and y’all told me no. And this is when I still wanted to play. Dang I must of been extra trash!!” he wrote on X.

McCoy’s pursuit of a return to the team dates all the way back to 2021.

“I would love to go back to Tampa,” he said in an interview.

After nine seasons with the Bucs and a few years away from the place he called home, McCoy has long been expressing his interest in coming back. He was released after the 2018 season, mostly due to salary cap concerns and his age. Following that, he joined the Carolina Panthers, which some thought was his way of getting back to Tampa.

However, McCoy has always disagreed with that notion.

“A lot of people had, they kind of misunderstood what took place between me and Tampa. They think it was, ‘Well, he left,’ or ‘Tampa released him.’ Nah, there was more to it than that. All the issues or whatever that I had with Tampa, we worked out last season when I was with Carolina,” he said.

McCoy could bring depth, experience, and leadership to a team. And for him, returning to Tampa represents unfinished business, and he’s even willing to take on different roles for the team. Back in 2024, there were rumors of Kacy Rodgers joining the Lions, and he did officially join them in 2025.

And McCoy was ready to take the job of defensive line coach. While he may not have traditional coaching experience, his leadership and knowledge of the game made him an intriguing candidate. However, the Buccaneers didn’t seem to seriously consider him then. Even now, it appears he won’t be getting the job, though the Buccaneers are struggling.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are struggling to make it to the playoffs

The Buccaneers are facing a reality check after a tough 24-20 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Despite starting the season 6-2, they now look far from a lock for the playoffs. Coach Todd Bowles stressed the need for the team to own their mistakes, improve quickly, and focus on the upcoming Thursday night matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.

Tampa Bay is tied for first in the NFC South with Carolina, and the final three games, including two against the Panthers, will decide if they can secure a fifth straight division title. The Bucs showed some positives on offense, particularly in the run game, gaining 179 yards at 4.6 yards per carry. Bucky Irving, Rachaad White, and quarterback Baker Mayfield contributed effectively on the ground.

But the Bucs’ performance on fourth downs was a major weakness, converting just two of seven attempts. The coach acknowledged that the team needs to execute better.

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“We gotta execute fourth downs better as well, especially the fourth-and-shorts, the fourth-and-1’s,” Bowles said.

Whether the team can bounce back in time remains to be seen.