The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Injury ends the season for Jets quarterback McCown
Bowles names Petty starter for Sunday at New Orleans.
The best season of Josh McCown’s career has reached an abrupt and painful end.
The Jets quarterback who established himself as a respected leader will miss the final three games with a broken left hand that will require surgery.
“It’s big for him and it’s big for us because he’s been leading us all year offensively,” coach Todd Bowles said Monday during a conference call.
Bowles said Bryce Petty will start in McCown’s place at New Orleans on Sunday. Petty, a fourth-rounder out of Baylor in 2015, started four games for the Jets last season. Second-year quarterback Christian Hackenberg remains behind Petty on the depth chart. Bowles said “it’s possible” the Jets could bring in another quarterback this week.
McCown was injured when he was hit by Denver’s Shane Ray in the third quarter of New York’s 23-0 loss Sunday.
An X-ray revealed that the 38-year-old McCown’s hand was broken, and additional tests Monday revealed the severity of the injury.
McCown, who signed a one-year, $6 million deal in the offseason, will be a free agent this winter. It is uncertain whether the Jets plan to re-sign him — or if McCown will even want to play another season.
Seahawks: The team will not face any suspensions for the melee in the loss to Jacksonville, but coach Pete Carroll said, “Everybody is remorseful. We don’t want to play like that.”
Packers: The team doctor is evaluating tests on Aaron Rodgers’ surgically repaired right collarbone to determine if the quarterback can return this weekend against Carolina. Coach Mike McCarthy said there’s no timeline for potentially clearing Rodgers.
Cardinals: Add another name to the long list of players lost due to injury. Starting left tackle Jared Veldheer has a cracked ankle and will go on injured reserve. Coach Bruce Arians also said starting right guard Earl Watford has a high ankle sprain and will miss some time.
Rookie Will Holden will move into the left tackle spot and Evan Boehm will go back to right guard, a job he lost to Watford.
Texans: Coach Bill O’Brien said he wouldn’t have let Tom Savage re-enter Sunday’s game after a hit that gave him a concussion and left the quarterback’s hands shaking if he had seen the video of the hit. Savage was injured in the second quarter of the loss to San Francisco when he was driven to the ground by Elvis Dumervil. Replays showed Savage looking dazed after his head hit the ground with both arms shaking and lifted upward.
An NFL spokesman said the league is looking into whether concussion protocol was properly followed after Savage was injured.
Bills: Coach Sean McDermott said he encouraged by the initial medical reports on his injured quarterbacks and won’t have to add a player before hosting Miami. Rookie Nathan Peterman is in the NFL’s concussion protocol after starting in place of Tyrod Taylor, who bruised his left knee a week earlier. Third-stringer Joe Webb finished Sunday’s game.
Steelers: Pittsburgh won one for injured Ryan Shazier — and wrapped up the AFC North. Chris Boswell made a 46-yard field goal with 42 seconds left and the defense overcame a sloppy night to stop Baltimore’s last-gasp drive in a 39-38 victory Sunday night. The Steelers (11-2) trailed by 11 going into the fourth quarter but capped an emotionally trying week following Shazier’s spinal injury to rally for their eighth straight victory and third division title in four years.
Giants: A day after saying he wasn’t sure who would start against Philadelphia, interim coach Steve Spagnuolo left no doubt Eli Manning would be his quarterback. Manning returned to the lineup Sunday and hit 31 of 46 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown in a loss to Dallas.