Koonce's return to the Raiders is one piece in solidifying the framework of a promising defensive line. His mentor Maxx Crosby signed an contract extension last Wednesday, and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and defensive line coach Rob Leonard were retained on the coaching staff, which should help Koonce's return the field be seamless barring any setbacks.
"[S]omebody like Pete Carroll, he's a legend of a coach, so who doesn't want to be around him? And then Pat [Patrick Graham] has kind of seen me grow into the player that I am, so I'm very comfortable around him, comfortable in the system, and it's always great to be around guys that believe in you."
"Definitely a good feeling when you come back to a comfortable position with people that you know," Koonce added. "People that you know and trust, people that you played with before. And yeah, it was an amazing feeling, felt like a weight lifted off my shoulder, so I'm happy."
While the signing is a sign of affirmation from the franchise coming off his injury, he seems laser-focused on the bigger picture heading into 2025.
"I'm more just focused on getting healthy, trying to just be the best Malcolm I can be, and that's pretty much it."