2024 was without question the most challenging and frustrating of edge rusher Malcolm Koonce’s career.
Coming off a career season the previous year with a personal best eight sacks, Koonce was hoping to make some money during a contract year. Unfortunately, a torn ACL brought his season to an end before it even had the chance to begin. While potential suitors were still expected to line up for his services, Koonce now carried some risk that resulted in more lucrative offers possibly being kept off the table.
Ultimately, Koonce decided to stay with the Las Vegas Raiders on a one-year, $12 million pact, and he recently explained what his thought process was as he entered free agency for the first time.
Koonce made his priorities clear during his time as a free agent.
On a recent appearance on The Rush with Maxx Crosby, Koonce explained to his teammate and pass-rushing partner that continuing with the Raiders was always his Plan A.
“I knew I wanted to come back. I knew I wanted to play with you guys again,” Koonce explained. “So my agent would be like ‘These people are interested’ and I’d be like ‘Well, what did the Raiders say?’ He’d say ‘These people are offering this’ and I’d be like ‘Have you checked with the Raiders in the last couple of days?’”
With Koonce back, the Raiders are hoping that he can continue his upward trajectory from 2023 and maintain solid sack production.
No Raider other than Crosby had more than five sacks in 2024, and a quality depth piece in K’Lavon Chaisson left for the New England Patriots in free agency. Outside of fourth-round rookie Tonka Hemingway playing a hybrid role between edge rusher and traditional defensive lineman, the team made no significant additions. Therefore, it is up to Koonce and the continued development of 2023 first-round pick Tyree Wilson to keep offensive lines from comfortably double-teaming Crosby.
The perennial All-Pro also took a moment to discuss how the team felt when Koonce went down with his injury.
“Just the raw emotion of how it kind of went down… [Malcolm] is coming off the best season you’ve had to that point… you were having an incredible offseason, incredible training camp… and this was like right before we go and play the [Los Angeles] Chargers, last padded practice a couple day before the game and we were on the indoor, [Malcolm] takes one step and tears his ACL,” Crosby said.
Koonce is expected to be ready for the 2025 season, and the team is hoping that a strong performance can lead to him being comfortably slotted back into their long-term outlook.
