The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
McCown ready to take on any role for Jets
Former Browns QB Josh McCown, 39, wants to be the Jets starter, but knows Sam Darnold is the future, and will accept whatever his role is this season.
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. » Josh McCown is still No. 1 on the Jets’ quarterback depth chart. At this point, though, he might as well be No. 100.
With each practice, it appears increasingly likely that rookie Sam Darnold will be the starter when the regular season kicks off in three weeks. Not that McCown has done anything on the field to hurt his chances of retaining the job.
It’s simply a matter of circumstances. McCown is 39 and been there, done that. Darnold is 21, was the third overall pick in the draft, has immense talent and is considered the future of the franchise — and that future could be now. He has shined in his last several practices and will likely start Friday night against the Giants in the team’s third preseason game.
“Like I said the whole time, obviously, we traded up to (No.) 3 to draft a quarterback to get Sam because there’s a plan in place,” McCown said. “So we understand that.”
That “plan” has been to give Darnold and Teddy Bridgewater the bulk of the work in the preseason and see how they perform. So far, so good — and that means McCown could slide down the depth chart very soon.
Coach Todd Bowles hasn’t announced a regularseason starter yet, and says he might not do so until after the fourth preseason game. From all indications, it’s trending in Darnold’s direction. But McCown isn’t necessarily reading into the fact Darnold is getting the bulk of the first-team snaps and that is causing the perception that the rookie will be the starter.
“No, I mean, obviously, he’s younger,” McCown said. “I was taking these kind of reps when he was 4 years old.”
Actually, Darnold was 5 when McCown was in his first NFL training camp with Arizona in 2002. But, point made.
“He needs the work and it’s good for him,” the veteran said. “Every rep is a great rep for all of us, there’s no doubt about it.”
Sure, he wants to start, but McCown is a realist. He knows his days as an NFL player, let alone starting quarterback, are dwindling.
“My goal for this is for the quarterback room to play well,” said McCown, who signed a $10 million deal in the offseason to return to New York. “And if that’s me playing out there, I want to play the best football that I can play. If that’s Sam or that’s Teddy, whoever that is, that’s the ultimate goal.”
Last summer, McCown also saw limited action in the preseason as the Jets tried to give Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty the opportunity to seize the starting gig. Neither could and McCown was the clear starter.
Darnold and Bridgewater have provided a different type of competition, a three-man race that is quickly becoming a twoman show — with McCown in the background.
“It’s fun to be out there playing and there’s no substitute for that,” McCown said. “That’s why we do it. At the same time, when you look at things from that prospective, if you can help be a part of finding that guy that can be that guy for this franchise for a long time, that means something to me, that’s competitive to me. That’s what we get up for work to do, that’s what makes it fun.
“I don’t feel like the forgotten guy because we’re busy every day working, and working on those things. That’s all that matters.”
McCown has been in just about every situation imaginable throughout his professional career, which is entering its 17th year.