LeSean McCoy could play in AFC Wild Card Game after ankle injury

Former Pitt star LeSean McCoy suffered an ankle sprain in the Buffalo Bills’ final game of the regular season and had to be carted off the field. However, the running back may return for the AFC Wild Card Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars this coming Sunday.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported on Monday there was a chance McCoy could play against the Jaguars, though he would not be at 100 percent. On Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter noted he would be a “game-time decision,” adding that it would be a “close call.”

McCoy did not participate in practice on Wednesday or Thursday, according to the Bills’ official injury report. However, Rapoport reported on Thursday that McCoy was no longer in a walking boot and did work out on the field before practice started. He also provided more detail on McCoy’s status for Sunday and what to expect from him leading up to the game:

My understanding is he’s not going to do much of anything this week. Going out and testing the ankle, trying to see if he can cut, it’s the kind of thing that could actually set him in the wrong direction, give him a setback.

He is going to try to play. The Bills think that he has a good chance of being able to play. His status is still officially up in the air, probably going to be a game-time decision. But this is at the very least pointing in the right direction. … It’s just a matter of how actually effective will he be on the field.

Joe Buscaglia of Buffalo’s WKBW passed along comments from McCoy, who talked about how his recovery from the injury has been progressing:

The good thing is that it wasn’t as bad as I thought. We’ve just been treating it after I got back from the game. It’s been feeling a lot better. I’m out of the boot and I can walk around without any pain, so that’s a plus. ...

I’m definitely happy how things are working out so far, but I’ve got a lot more room for improvement — especially where I want to be at. I know my body, I know myself. Especially the way I play — it’s more cutting than running, so I’m just trying to get better.

McCoy added that he didn’t want to make any promises about whether or not he would play on Sunday, because he felt he hurt the team by playing injured in the past. However, he also said, “But the type of game like this, man, you’ve got to lay it on the line. If you can’t get 100 percent, as long as I’m out there and I can run effective enough, I’ll do it.”

The clash between the Bills and Jaguars is scheduled to kick off from Jacksonville’s EverBank Field at 1:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, and McCoy’s return would give a huge boost to the Bills in their first playoff appearance since Jan. 8, 2000.