Riggo's Rag
FanSided

Why Colt McCoy can’t be placed on PUP list by Redskins

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 18: Colt McCoy #12 of the Washington Redskins walks to the sideline in the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at FedExField on November 18, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 18: Colt McCoy #12 of the Washington Redskins walks to the sideline in the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at FedExField on November 18, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Colt McCoy (leg) may not be ready to start the season. But if he isn’t, he can’t go on the PUP list. Here’s why.

The Redskins are soon going to have to make a decision about their quarterback battle. With two preseason games left, nobody has truly stepped up in the fight for the starting job. Right now, it appears that veteran Case Keenum would be out in front, but Dwayne Haskins made his case to be the starter in the second preseason game.

However, the most disappointing part of the position battle has been the performance, or lack thereof, from Colt McCoy. The veteran-most Redskins quarterback who has six years in the system was on the field in training camp and was listed atop the team’s depth chart ahead of the first preseason game. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to log action in the preseason and that has pushed him down the depth chart as a result.

McCoy suffered a broken leg last season against the Philadelphia Eagles in only his second start after Alex Smith‘s season-ending injury and dealt with complications related to it in the offseason. Those issues have lingered to this point and that’s a major concern, especially since the Redskins were hopeful that McCoy might be able to return at the end of last season if needed. Now, there are questions about whether or not he will make the roster this season.

More from Riggo's Rag

In all likelihood, it seems that McCoy is destined for one of the injured lists barring a turn of events in the coming weeks. The team won’t want to get rid of him if they can help it, so stashing him and letting Keenum and Haskins duke it out early in the season seems sensible.

That said, if McCoy does go on an injured list, it would have to be Injured Reserve. He could get a DFR (designated for return) tag that would allow him to come back eight weeks into the season at which point he could serve as a third-stringer or backup depending on the quarterback situation in Washington.

For those wondering if the Physically Unable to Perform list is an option for McCoy, it won’t be. The PUP list is reserved for players who were on the list from the start of training camp onward. McCoy has logged plenty of time at practice and was never on the list during training camp. Thus, he won’t be eligible for that.

The benefit of having McCoy on the PUP list would’ve been that he could return earlier, as a player must only spend a minimum of six games on the PUP list as opposed to eight on IR. But, nonetheless, that’s not an option for the veteran.

Next. Redskins roster bubble report after preseason Week 2. dark

If McCoy’s health improves in the coming weeks, the Redskins will avoid having to put him on an injury list. But it’s important to note that if they do choose that path, they will have to use an IR-DFR spot if they want to get him back later in the season. And if they do that, they could keep more depth at another position while keeping McCoy and giving him time to heal.

Home/Commanders News