Jets wine and dine McCown
Could the Jets be closer to finding their new starting quarterback?
Jets brass wined and dined Josh McCown on Saturday as part of his visit with the team, which began on Friday. McCown had dinner with head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan at Del Frisco’s Steakhouse in midtown on Saturday night.
It was not known whether the Jets have made a contract offer to the veteran quarterback, but having him in for a two-day visit is an indication the team is serious about him.
The Jets are one of a few teams in the league with an unsettled starting quarterback situation. The Browns and Texans are the others, but the Texans are expected to chase Tony Romo once the Cowboys cut him loose.
With the free agent options dwindling, the Jets brought in McCown for a look. McCown, who turns 38 on July 4, won’t excite the fan base, but could be a good bridge quarterback for the Jets, who hope Bryce Petty or Christian Hackenberg develop. McCown could be a good mentor for the young quarterbacks as well.
Last year before the Jets and Browns played, then-Jets receiver Brandon Marshall praised McCown, who was starting for the Bears. The two played together with the Bears in 2012-13.
“That was our leader,” Marshall said in October. “He’s a stud. He led up, he led down. When he wasn’t starting in Chicago, he kept all the guys together, defense and offense. We had some big personalities there, including myself. At times we had egos. And he was the guy that kept us rolling.”
McCown’s success on the field has not been quite as good. He is 18-42 in his career as a starter. The Jets also have shown interest in McCown’s former teammate, Jay Cutler, but Cutler’ s price could be much higher than McCown’s. The Jets are interested in Cutler only if he comes cheaply.