Did Coy Wire play in the NFL? Exploring CNN sports anchor's football career

CNN sports anchor Coy Wire played in the National Football League (NFL) and had a successful nine-year career in the league. Newer NFL fans might know Cody Wire for being an eloquent anchor on CNN. Still, older football enthusiasts will remember him for being a dynamic linebacker for the Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons.

So yes, Coy Wire played in the NFL far longer than some of his contemporaries in the studio. Let's take a look at his football career.

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What NFL teams did Coy Wire play for?

Coy Wire played for two teams during his professional football career, the Buffalo Bills (2002-2007) and the Atlanta Falcons (2008-2010). Wire was drafted by the Buffalo Bills as the 97th overall pick of the 2002 NFL draft in the third round. He was brought in for depth, but he could have done better at becoming a starter at LB for the Bills.

Wire played in all their games in 2002 and put up a stat line of 96 total tackles and three sacks for the year. He continued his productivity with the Bills for six years, becoming the Bills' most popular linebacker of his era. His career with Bills ended in 2008 after he suffered a neck injury that year that required surgery to insert a titanium plate and four screws into his neck. He was subsequently released by the franchise.

However, his NFL career wasn't over yet, as he signed with the Atlanta Falcons on July 25, 2008. He participated in 47 of 48 games over three seasons with the Falcons before being released on September 2, 2011. His time with the Falcons was solid but not spectacular, and he at least managed to prove to the Bills that they were wrong for giving up on him so quickly.

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Coy Wire career earnings: How much did ex-NFL OLB make in NFL?

Coy Wire had a nine-year NFL career in the early 2000s, when football players of his ilk weren't paid inflated salaries. He did well for himself, signing contracts with the Buffalo Bills that earned him $3,835,000 over his Bills career. He was a fierce competitor with the Bills and always left it all out there on the Gridiron. Wire wanted to be a one-franchise man, but a freak injury led the Bills to release him following the 2007 NFL season.

He signed with the Atlanta Falcons before the 2008 NFL season to provide veteran leadership for a young roster and help them in a potential postseason push. He did just that and was paid $2,280,000 over three seasons for his efforts.

Coy Wire earned $6,115,000 during his NFL career. He has since moved to the broadcasting industry, showcasing his deep knowledge of the game on CNN as a sports anchor.