Chicago Bears quarterback Josh McCown (12) gets set during the fourth quarter. Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago Bears backup quarterback Josh McCown is one of the best backup QBs or stopgap veteran options available on the open market, and teams in need of a reliable backup as an insurance policy to an unproven young QB should take a long look at him. McCown flirted with the idea of retirement at one point, but it’s clear that he wants to continue playing and will cash in on a surprising breakout season. It’s not often that players as old as McCown suddenly have monster years, but that’s exactly what McCown did. He was one of the league’s most productive quarterbacks when starting for injured Bears franchise QB Jay Cutler, and McCown is a safe option for any team as a backup or stopgap.
It was reported over the weekend by the New York Daily News’s Manish Mehta that the New York Jets have interest in Josh McCown, as they need a dependable vet to backup Geno Smith, who has franchise potential and showed promise but is too inconsistent and turnover-prone to go into a season without a legitimate “Plan B”.
But the Jets aren’t the only team interested in signing McCown, as the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have “strong interest” in signing him. Mike Glennon showed enough last season to warrant another season as a starter, but the Bucs also need a backup pretty badly; McCown fits the bill.
Rapoport also adds that the Bears have “strong interest” in re-signing McCown, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise at all.