Tough break for McCown ends
Just like that, Josh McCown’s resurgent season is finished, one of the most heartwarming stories in the NFL coming to a bitter end for a 38-year-old who defied his age for the better part of four months.
Todd Bowles on Monday announced the news many expected after the Jets’ 23-0 defeat in Denver: McCown, the team’s starting quarterback and unquestioned leader, will miss the remainder of 2017 because of a broken left hand. McCown will need surgery, leaving his football future in doubt.
“It’s big for him and it’s big for us because he’s been leading us all year offensively,” Bowles said on a conference call. “It’s next-man-up mentality, and the next guy has to step up. But I’m still sorry for Josh. He’s having a very good year.”
That next man up is 26-yearold Bryce Petty, who will start this weekend when the Jets face the Saints in New Orleans. Christian Hackenberg is expected to be active for the first time since Week 1 and just the second time in his career.
Petty filled in for McCown on two occasions Sunday — first for two plays early in the second quarter when McCown went down with a hip pointer after taking a shot on a scramble; and again after McCown suffered his broken hand in the third quarter on a hit from linebacker Shane Ray.
Petty finished 2-of-9 for 14 yards on the day, missing multiple open receivers. After the game, Bowles said Petty was shaking off some “rust” after not playing a regularseason snap all year.
Bowles said Hackenberg will also receive first-team reps this week in practice. When asked if he’d be comfortable with a situation
where Hackenberg is forced to play, Bowles replied, “Yeah, I am.”
“Both of the guys have got to be ready,” Bowles said, “and they’ll be ready.”
McCown was distraught in his postgame press conference Sunday night in Denver, breaking down into tears when discussing the potential end to his season. Bowles said he talked with McCown Sunday night and had another conversation with the quarterback Monday after the final tests results came back.
“He meant a lot. His leadership meant a lot, from the time he walked in the door,” Bowles said. “Just always doing the right thing and saying the right things and helping everybody on the team, not just offensively but defensively as well. Not to mention the fact that he made some plays out there on the field.” McCown was enjoying a career season before Sunday’s injury. He’d already set career highs in passing yards (2,926) and touchdowns (18), and was on pace to set a career high in completion percentage (67.3).
He was flourishing in John Morton’s West Coast system, which makes the whole ordeal tougher to swallow for those at One Jets Drive.