LeSean “Shady” McCoy may have left Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test Season 5, but apparently, the drama did not leave with him.
Jovon “Q” Quarles, one of the instructors on the brutally physical reality series, is now going off about McCoy’s sudden exit. And judging by his comments, this is not exactly a case of everyone wishing Shady a safe journey home.
McCoy, the former NFL running back, signed up for a show where celebrities and athletes are pushed through military-style challenges. The goal is simple: survive the madness.
Well, McCoy eventually decided he had enough, and Q clearly has some thoughts about that decision.
Jovon "Q" Quarles said he "lost so much respect" for LeSean "Shady" McCoy following his withdrawal from "Special Forces: World's Toughest Test." 👀 pic.twitter.com/HDalBWnPlJ
— Virtual Reali-Tea by Page Six (@VRTpod) October 2, 2026
The instructor did not exactly roll out the red carpet while discussing McCoy’s departure. Instead, he questioned the former football star and his approach to the competition.
“He straight pissed me off,” Quarles, a former NAVY SEAL, told Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea,” noting that he “lost so much respect” for the ex-NFL running back.
In Thursday night’s episode of “Special Forces,” McCoy voluntarily withdrew from the course after less than 24 hours, citing his frustrations about the mosquitoes and the makeshift outdoor bathroom.
As we know, celebrity recruits who sign up for “Special Forces” receive the same amount of pay — no matter how long they last on the course.
Because of that, Quarles said he felt that McCoy only came for his paycheck, claiming the two-time Super Bowl champion “stole” from him and the rest of the directing staff, who put their own blood, sweat and tears into designing the different challenges.
“For you to come out here for less than 24 hours and quit when nothing happened to you, nothing was wrong with you, everything was good to go and you were so jovial about it? I feel like you stole from us,” Quarles said. “You stole money from us.”
He bluntly added: “I was livid.”
That is the funny thing about Special Forces. Nobody cares how many touchdowns you scored.
You can have an NFL résumé, have trophies, and have millions of dollars. None of that matters when someone is screaming at you to carry something heavy up a hill while your lungs are begging for retirement.
“Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test” puts a group of celebrity recruits through the rigorous Special Forces selection process, led by real-life former military operatives like Quarles.
“When you come on the show, make some effort, give us something, show us something or don’t come out,” he said. “We don’t need you. There are other people who want to get out there and challenge themselves.”
Quarles explained that “Special Forces” is about more than the physical challenges, noting that it’s about “teaching people something” about themselves.
He said McCoy’s exit shortly after waking up on their second day in the jungle was the “first time” he’s ever seen someone quit unprompted.
“When someone does something that stupid, or that selfish, I’m like, ‘Oh, get out of here. Done,’” Quarles told us. “I haven’t talked to him since the show.”
“I think he’s the only one I haven’t spoken to since filming,” he continued, “and I’m cool with that.”
“Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test” airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on Fox.
The former NFL star may have been Shady on the football field, but on Special Forces, the instructors were not interested in nicknames.
They wanted results, and when the whistle blew, apparently, Shady decided it was time to find the nearest exit.
