LeSean McCoy Injury Update: Bills Running Back Out With Hamstring Injury, Same One That Has Nagged Him Before

LeSean McCoy was forced out of Sunday’s game with an injured hamstring, which could be a bad sign for the Buffalo Bills.

McCoy went out early in the first quarter of his team’s 27-23 loss to the New York Jets, which all but eliminated the team from playoff contention. McCoy was only able to play part of the first series, generating one yard on two carries. As CBS Sports noted, the Bills were forced to turn to Chris Ivory, who did not fare much better against the Jets defense.

While there is not yet any indication about the severity of McCoy’s injury, he has struggled with hamstring injuries in the past. He missed games in both the 2015 and 2016 seasons with nagging hamstring injuries, which tended to linger for several weeks and hamper the running back even after he was able to return to action. The Bills were guaranteed a losing season with the loss to the Jets on Sunday, so the coaching staff may choose to shut McCoy down for the three remaining games if the injury proves to be serious enough.

LeSean McCoy has been enduring a difficult season as it appears age and heavy usage is catching up with him. McCoy has just 478 yards on a career-low 3.3 yards per carry this year, and on Sunday he was surpassed by Josh Allen for the team’s rushing lead — despite the fact that Allen also missed four games with an elbow injury.

Despite the drop in production, McCoy was sorely missed on Sunday as the Bills sputtered on offense in the second half, failing to get into the endzone after the first quarter. Though Josh Allen lifted the team with his legs — becoming the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to rush for more than 100 yards in consecutive games — McCoy’s presence was missed as the Bills were without any top targets. In the team’s first matchup against the Jets, McCoy had his best game of the season with 113 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

LeSean McCoy (hamstring) questionable to return vs. Jetshttps://t.co/BQwoQyu9ic pic.twitter.com/3P6MCUKbVC

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) December 9, 2018

The injury troubles and the sharp drop in production have left LeSean McCoy with an uncertain future. The Bills have indicated that he will be back again next season, the final year remaining on his contract, but it is like that the team will be searching for a new No. 1 back.

The full extent of LeSean McCoy’s injury will likely be known after the running back undergoes testing on Monday.