HENDERSON, Nev. — Running back Sincere McCormick signed with the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent in May 2022, but he wouldn’t get much time to prove himself.
Later that month, he stayed after a 2 1/2-hour practice during OTAs to get in some extra work. While fielding punts, the then-21-year-old took an awkward step and tore his ACL and LCL in his knee. He was placed on season-ending injured reserve, ending his rookie season before mandatory minicamp even began.
It’d be 30 months before McCormick got an opportunity to show what he can do on the field. Fellow running backs Zamir White and Alexander Mattison were unavailable due to injury, so he was called up from the Raiders’ practice squad last month. He got his first career carry against the Denver Broncos in Week 12 and went 11 yards for a first down. The Raiders went on to score a touchdown on that drive. During a break in the action, coach Antonio Pierce turned to McCormick with a question.
“How many career rushing yards did you have?” Pierce asked.
“Zero,” McCormick quickly replied.
It turns out McCormick’s first carry set the tone for what was to come. The sample remains small — he has just 17 NFL carries — but McCormick is averaging 5.7 yards per run and is the Raiders’ most efficient runner. In a season in which the 2-10 Raiders have fielded one of the most inefficient rushing attacks in recent memory — they’re last in the league in rushing yards per game — it’s hard to find a reason McCormick shouldn’t be taking over as the lead back against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6) on Sunday.
The Raiders rewarded McCormick for the flashes he’s shown by signing him to the active roster Tuesday. It’s the first time in his career he’s been on the roster in a full-time capacity.
We have signed RB Sincere McCormick to the active roster from the practice squad. Additionally, we have placed WR DJ Turner on the Reserve/Injured List. pic.twitter.com/4G0LnJY7MP
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) December 3, 2024
“It’s a growth mindset,” McCormick, now 24, said Wednesday when asked to reflect on his journey. “The adversity I had to battle going through just to be in the spot that I am, it’s all worth it at the end of the day. It’s the grind I set myself up for to continue to have that mindset to continue to build and grow. You reap the reward after you’re done with the process, but the process isn’t over with yet.”
McCormick grew up in a tumultuous environment in Long Beach, Calif. Along with his mother and brother, he experienced a period of homelessness before the family briefly moved to Las Vegas and then again to the San Antonio area.
His family found stability in Texas, and McCormick found a passion for football. After rushing for 3,407 yards and 43 touchdowns at Judson High in Converse, he was rated as a three-star prospect by the 247Sports Composite. McCormick enrolled at the University of Texas at San Antonio and earned the starting role right away.
Each year at UTSA, McCormick improved. He rushed for 983 yards and eight touchdowns as a freshman in 2019, 1,467 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns as a sophomore and 1,479 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns as a junior in 2021. He was named the Conference USA offensive player of the year in 2020 and 2021, was a third-team All-American as a junior and set 20 school records before declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft.
During the draft process, McCormick was knocked for his lack of size and below-average traits — he measured at 5 feet 8 1/2, 205 pounds at the scouting combine, ran just a 4.6-second 40-yard dash and managed only a 33 1/2-inch vertical leap. Going undrafted was tough, but missing his rookie year due to injury was even harder.
“For me, not being hurt my entire career and having to face that, that’s what I meant by adversity,” McCormick said. “To just see my journey and how much I grew from that, it’s amazing.”
McCormick was healthy going into the 2023 season but was stuck in a crowded backfield led by All-Pro Josh Jacobs. White, who was drafted in the fourth round in 2022, was already tabbed by then-general manager Dave Ziegler and coach Josh McDaniels as Jacobs’ successor. Veterans Brandon Bolden and Ameer Abdullah rounded out the room. Though McCormick got some opportunities in the preseason, the results were modest: 17 touches for 60 yards, one rushing touchdown and one receiving score.
.@raiders extend their lead, 24-7!
📺: #SFvsLV on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/bBFpXevVUR pic.twitter.com/viN83r63f4— NFL (@NFL) August 13, 2023
There wasn’t enough production to justify giving him a roster spot, so McCormick spent the entire season on the Raiders’ practice squad. But that didn’t down McCormick’s spirits. He’d developed a determination throughout his rehab process that helped him remain positive.
“During that process of healing, I had that mindset that I’m coming back and I’m going to be better than I was before. I was going to be healthier, stronger and faster,” McCormick said. “I knew I was going to be on the practice squad, but at the same time, I had Josh Jacobs here and some of the older guys like Brandon Bolden. … I was just learning from them and being able to see how they worked as pros.”
When Jacobs went down with a season-ending injury, White shined in four games as the starter. After Jacobs signed with the Green Bay Packers this offseason, nobody blinked when Pierce and general manager Tom Telesco said the plan was for White to be the starter in 2024.
Mattison was signed to complement White, and Abdullah replaced Bolden as the third-down back. Dylan Laube, drafted in the sixth round this past April, emerged as a potential contributor in training camp. For all intents and purposes, McCormick was an afterthought.
Things remained that way through the first 11 weeks of the season. Neither White nor Mattison was effective as they rotated as the lead back, but it wasn’t until both players suffered injuries that McCormick got the call.
McCormick flashed immediately. He received only five handoffs as the Raiders attempted a whopping 53 passes in their 29-19 loss to the Broncos, but he averaged 6.6 yards per carry and looked capable of handling more. Interim offensive coordinator Scott Turner took note.
“You see it all the time in this league,” Turner said last week, “a guy that’s been on the practice squad and been around a few years. He really just trusted the process, worked hard, and then when he got his opportunity, he made the most of it.”
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Turner used a more balanced approach against the Kansas City Chiefs last week. McCormick took advantage of the larger workload on his way to 12 carries for 64 yards.
“It was just attention to details,” McCormick said last week when asked what has led to his success. “Trusting my instincts. Believing what I see. … Seeing what I need to watch for and continuing to have that confidence as I continue to carry the rock.”
McCormick utilizes a decisive running style where he makes one cut before getting vertical. It has given the Raiders’ run game some extra juice.
“What you’re seeing on game days is what we saw every day in practice,” Pierce said Wednesday. “He’s a guy who runs hard and runs tough. He has good vision. He’s decisive. He hits the hole. The first guy’s not tackling him right now, and that’s been a big key for us in the run game. … He’s making the most of his opportunity, and he’ll keep getting opportunities.”
McCormick is hoping he can help the Raiders turn things around down the stretch. Mattison (ankle) was limited at practice Wednesday, and White (quad) didn’t practice, so it looks like he’ll take on a larger role. If that happens and he remains productive, he could earn himself a spot.
“I get a chance to showcase,” McCormick said. “It’s an opportunity that I’m ready for and that I’ve been ready for. I get a chance for the whole world to see me perform and put that on display. I’m excited for these next five games, and even leading up to next year.”
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(Photo: Jay Biggerstaff / Imagn Images)
