The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a team in crisis after falling behind 56-0 Thursday night on the way to an embarrassing loss to the Atlanta Falcons. And their starting quarterback isn't healthy.
Josh McCown will have a second opinion on his injured thumb over the next few days, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Friday night, per a source informed of the situation. There is concern that the 35-year-old signal-caller's thumb could have ligament damage instead of a simple sprain, which would potentially set him out a few weeks.
Rapoport reported that McCown underwent an MRI on his injured thumb earlier Friday, via a team source.
McCown's accuracy was already suspect early this season when his thumb was healthy.
It would be a natural time for the Buccaneers to consider changing quarterbacks even if McCown were healthy. But coach Lovie Smith doesn't want to consider it.
"Josh is our starter," Smith said Friday, which might sound familiar to a lot of Bears fans.
McCown has made a lot of mental mistakes this year that you don't expect out of a veteran. Smith said that McCown's interceptions were not all his fault. The Bucs have an intriguing backup in Mike Glennon, although he also struggled quite a bit in relief Thursday night.
"I thought Mike came in and did some good things," coach Lovie Smith said. "There weren't a whole lot of bright spots (Thursday) but for a guy, you know, your backup quarterback doesn't get a whole lot of reps. I thought Mike jumped in right away, he was eager to play. If there's something bright that came out of this game, it was probably his play."
The Buccaneers have more problems than just the quarterback position. But if McCown is sidelined for some games, giving Glennon a shot to run the team may be for the better, even if Smith wasn't inclined to make that move.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast recaps the Falcons' lopsided win over the Bucs and previews every other game in Week 3.
