Josh McCown could call it quits
Chicago Bears quarterback Josh McCown (12) looks to pass during the third quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago Bears backup quarterback Josh McCown has been a backup in this league for quite a long time, but he played the best football of his life at the age of 34. Stepping in for an injured Jay Cutler, McCown played so well that some fans believe he should still be the Bears starting quarterback. Whether or not you agree with that sentiment, there’s little doubt that McCown did a terrific job for the Bears in his six starts, and there’s also little doubt that’s set to make a nice chunk of coin in the offseason.
But money and excellent play might not be enough motivation to keep McCown in the NFL, because McCown is incredibly devoted to his family. He has four kids who live in North Carolina with his wife, and McCown’s good-guy character definitely spreads to his family life as well. The Chicago Sun-Times’s Adam L. Jahns ran an excellent, heart-warming feature on McCown and his feelings for his family, and it features several interesting quotes from the quarterback himself.
The most interesting? This one, “There’s not enough money in the world to justify and make it feel OK to miss those games and stuff like that. It’s a process. It’s things that we think about, quite honestly, moving forward in my career in the direction, ‘Are we going to keep playing?’ All those things, because it’s a real question, because those things are hard.”
I would highly recommend following the link above and reading the entire piece, because you will have a lot of respect for Josh McCown by the time you are done reading it. He’s a genuine, awesome, and down-to-earth guy, and I hope he can find a way to continue his career, get a solid contract, and find a way to spend more time with his family. The fact that he’s legitimately considering retiring after this season in order to spend more time with his family is absolutely amazing, and it’s a beautiful story that’s well-worth reading on Christmas; it definitely fits the holiday cheer.
If McCown chooses to walk away from the game, then he would be walking away from the league’s highest ESPN TQBR this year, as well as a decent-sized contract in the offseason. But since it’s for his family, nobody in their right mind should question the 12-year vet.