Erik McCoy Keeps the Same Fire After Missing 20 Games

Saints center Erik McCoy has a simple answer for the 20 games he missed across the past two seasons. “S— just happens,” the two-time Pro Bowl veteran said. He played just seven games in 2024 and seven more in 2025 before a torn biceps ended his year early. McCoy is not about to change how he attacks the game because of it.

The 28-year-old enters 2026 with the same edge that once made him the only offensive player in the league to start all 17 games back in 2023. That season earned him his first Pro Bowl nod. The injuries that followed tested him, but they never rewired his approach.

The Brutal Reality Behind the Missed Time

McCoy landed on injured reserve twice in 2024, first with a groin issue and later with an elbow problem. Last season the biceps tear came on a routine block he had executed countless times. He watched other linemen hit the same spot afterward without issue. One unlucky angle changed everything.

“Last year, the play where I tore my bicep was something I’ve done a million times, and I saw people do it a million times after that. It just happened to be that impact angle and, you know, it ended my season. It was tough. But I’m going to keep doing what I can to mitigate those risks and hopefully I’ll be lucky. Hopefully all of us will be lucky, but I want to be lucky, too.”

— Erik McCoy, via NOLA.com

He keeps coming back to the same phrase he used after that perfect 2023 campaign. Healthy or unhealthy, a lot of it comes down to the luck of the draw. Preparation helps. Film study and training reduce some risk. Football still decides the rest.

The Saints Offensive Line Finally Has the Look of a Strength

McCoy returns to a front that, on paper, represents the strongest unit the Saints have assembled in years. Taliese Fuaga and Kelvin Banks Jr. bookend the tackles with a mix of proven play and rising upside. Free-agent guard David Edwards arrived to stabilize the interior and upgrade overall communication. Cesar Ruiz continues to sharpen his pass protection after a step forward last season.

McCoy sits at the literal and figurative center. Coaches and teammates call him the nerve center of the group. The offensive line room carries a reputation as the most tight-knit position group on the roster. His voice carries weight in meetings and on the field. When he is healthy, head coach Kellen Moore has said it directly: the Saints are a better football team.

Young quarterback Tyler Shough has already leaned on that leadership. He trusts every protection call McCoy makes without hesitation. That chemistry matters in a wide-zone scheme that demands precise timing and trust up front.

Reckless Abandon Is Non-Negotiable

McCoy will not let the injury history turn him cautious. Awareness exists, but it cannot dictate how he plays. The moment it does, he knows the game will pass him by.

“There’s always going to be an awareness of injuries, but you can’t play with an awareness. It’s kind of just got to be reckless abandon, and whatever happens happens. I’m going to keep that same mentality. I don’t want to be a guy that plays timid, that plays soft, that plays afraid to get hurt. If I play like that, I should quit football.”

— Erik McCoy, via NOLA.com

This spring McCoy welcomed his second child. Family keeps him grounded as he moves deeper into his eighth NFL season. The competitor side stays sharp. He studies what he can control and accepts the rest. That balance shows up in how he talks about the line now forming around him. The pieces are there. His health and leadership could turn potential into something real in 2026.

McCoy has already shown what a fully healthy version of himself looks like. The Saints are counting on seeing that version again, anchored by a center who still believes the only way to play this game is all the way in.