Long-suffering fans of the New York Jets are bracing themselves for an autumn disaster.
After watching the team cut bait with nearly every trusted veteran on the roster -- Eric Decker, David Harris, Brandon Marshall, Darrelle Revis, Nick Mangold and more -- expectations are grim.
Just don't tell that to Josh McCown.
The 38-year-old journeyman refuted the idea that he's nothing more than a "bridge" quarterback brought on to guide teammates through a lost season.
"As a competitor, your first reaction is, 'Well, I'm not a bridge and, if that's the case, I'm gonna be a dang good bridge,'" McCown said on Thursday's edition of Mike and Mike on ESPN. "So, for me, I understand the role that I'm in and I'm excited to come in and compete and help our team win."
McCown is New York's best option under center, but we're bound to see Bryce Petty and the enigmatic Christian Hackenberg also make starts for a team that has drawn accusations of overtly tanking in hopes of landing the No. 1 pick in next year's draft -- and the quarterback of its choice.
"It's hard to argue [with] that," wideout Quincy Enunwa recently said on the "tank" theory, "when everybody else sees all the stuff that's going on."
McCown's job, though, is to happily lead this Jets team into the fray -- even if the battle already looks lost.
