Aging QBs proving their worth

TAMPA, Fla. — Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh McCown are survivors, aging quarterbacks who keep getting opportunities to prove their worth to NFL teams.

One of them has started 116 games over 13 seasons with seven teams, while the other has 69 career starts spread over 15 years with eight clubs.

Together, that’s 185 starts for nearly half the league, a number that will grow Sunday when Fitzpatrick, one of just four players in league history to throw touchdown passes for seven franchises, makes his first start for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-6).

Interestingly, career start No. 117 comes against the New York Jets (4-5), his employer the past two seasons.

McCown, a little more than halfway through his first season with the Jets, also is facing one of his former teams.

Bucs coach Dirk Koetter, who recruited the 34-yearold Fitzpatrick to be Jameis Winston’s backup, marvels at the longevity of both quarterbacks.

“Those are both great examples. It shows you what a quarterback in the NFL is. There (are) 32 teams and you make up your own number where you think the number is of teams that like their starter, let alone like their backup,” Koetter said.

“Every year media (and) fans, they’ve always got their eye on the next five guys out of college or who is going to be a free agent because every team wants that guy and they’re searching,” Koetter added. “Well, there just isn’t that many of those guys. So guys that are smart, tough (and) can do it pretty (well) can make a great living.”

Fitzpatrick replaces the injured Winston (shoulder), ending the third-year pro’s streak of 40 consecutive starts to begin his career.

McCown, 38, actually played a major role in the Bucs positioning themselves to draft Winston No. 1 overall, going 1-10 as a starter in 2014 — his only season in Tampa Bay, which finished a leagueworst 2-14.

It was a year McCown, who’s also played for the Cardinals, Lions, Raiders, Panthers, Bears and Browns, would just as soon forget.

“Well, that was a really rough year,” said McCown, who’s thrown for 1,980 yards and 13 touchdowns vs. seven interceptions this season.

“For me, it’ll be like just another trip. I’ve moved on past that at this point, and obviously I’ve done that with different stops and different places in my career,” McCown added. “I’ve kind of had some practice at it, so it’ll just be another game.”

Fitzpatrick is taking the same approach.

He had the best season of his career two years ago, leading the Jets to 10 wins while throwing for a personal-best 31 TDs. New York entered 2016 with heightened expectations that Fitzpatrick and his teammates were unable to fulfill.