For Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy, the 2026 NFL Draft has become a grueling test of patience and resilience. As one of the top-ranked prospects in the country, McCoy’s slide out of the first three rounds became a major storyline, but it was a moment on Yahoo Sports’ live broadcast that turned a difficult night into a viral controversy.
NFL Hosts Take Accountability for Jermod McCoy Moment
Following an uncomfortable exchange during their live coverage, hosts Jason Fitz and Matt Harmon took to social media to issue a heartfelt apology, promising to be better after fans called out the crew for their reaction to McCoy’s draft-day misfortune.
Fitz wrote, “Charles crushed this reporting. Clearly we weren’t laughing at the report or the player – we were laughing at ourselves & our own visceral reactions to the details. For people to see it differently means I didn’t do my job well. I apologize. I’ll do better / be better next time.”
Harmon also commented, “Great reporting from Charles of course and very honestly I wish I had reacted better to hearing it in the moment. It wasn’t funny. It’s a long show and I was just so taken aback by the details that I reacted in a stupid way by awkwardly laughing. I apologize, regret it and will do better in the future.”
Charles crushed this reporting. Clearly we weren’t laughing at the report or the player – we were laughing at ourselves & our own visceral reactions to the details
For people to see it differently means I didn’t do my job well. I apologize. I’ll do better / be better next time https://t.co/f1CP8LD3Y5
— jason fitz (@jasonfitz) April 25, 2026
McCoy entered the 2026 NFL Draft as a consensus first-rounder on many boards, and on PFSN’s Big Board, he was the 14th-ranked prospect.
However, a devastating ACL injury suffered in early 2025, which forced him to miss his entire final collegiate season, loomed large over his medical reports. According to PFSN’s CFB CB Impact Metric, he posted an impact score of 87.9 in 2024.
As the draft progressed and McCoy remained on the board, the Yahoo Sports crew was discussing his fall. During the segment, the atmosphere shifted when the hosts appeared to laugh while discussing the details of McCoy’s injury situation and his continued wait for a phone call.
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While viewers debated the context of the laughter in real time, the optics were immediate and damaging. To fans watching McCoy, a young man who had spent the last year in grueling physical therapy only to have his dream slip away in real time, the moment felt tone-deaf and disrespectful.
While the crew may have been reacting to the absurdity of the draft’s unpredictability or their own internal banter, Fitz and Harmon acknowledged that the impact matters more than the intent. And the two are accountable for the same.
