New York Jets edge rusher Will McDonald IV has gained 15 pounds from his listed playing weight last season.
No, it wasn’t because he was on the couch with pizza. It’s a nutrition and lifting thing. He added muscle to boost his strength in hopes of getting on the field more.
The 6-foot-4 McDonald, a first-round rookie last season, is about 250 pounds now, the Post estimates. McDonald had 10.5 sacks last year, mostly attributed to his speed.
“We never want to take that away from him. That’s his superpower,” Glenn said. “But I think he understands, for him to be able to max everything out of his potential, he needs to get stronger, he needs to get bigger.”
That’s the hope. But NFL history suggests that rushers who add weight don’t necessarily gain an advantage. In fact, the lost speed, diminished explosiveness and loss of agility can result in a decrease in ability and shorten careers.
NFL lore is rife with players whose weight problems curtailed once promising careers.
Leading the list is defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth, who signed a $100 million contract with the Washington Redskins in 2009 after an all-pro season with the Tennessee titans.
Haynesworth had trouble passing a conditioning run, and his liste weight of 350 pounds may have been a generous estimate. He played just 20 games with the Redskins before moving on to brief stints with the Patriots and Bucanneers.
Gilbert Brown was cut from the Vikings camp when he showed up at 355 pounds. He later signed with the Packers, and became a fan favorite for his size despite only brief moments of success.
There's also Grady Jackson. He started with the Raiders and had success as a run-stopper, thanks to his 350 pounds. But he kept gaining weight and that led to shorter stints with the Saints, Packers, Falcons, Jaguars and Lions.
The Colts had Terrance Cody, aka “Mount Cody,” who was listed at 360 pounds. That was a fantasy, and he struggled with conditioning and maintaining a weight south of 400. He was out of the league after five seasons.
Whether McDonald’s added weight will boost his abilities remains to be seen. But it’s said that those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. That’s certainly true in the NFL.