Gotham's fearless, unwavering leader is no more.
Uncaped-crusading quarterback Josh McCown is out for the season after suffering a broken left hand in the Jets' loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday. The team announced the news on Monday.
McCown, the longtime journeyman who's been as much of an afterthought in some cities as he's been greatly appreciated in others, led the Jets to a 5-8 mark in 13 starts. The quarterback completed 67.3 of his passes for 2,926 yards, 18 touchdowns and just nine interceptions while leading the offensive side of a team many expected to be the worst in the NFL. With considerable thanks due to McCown, the Jets have instead won five games and were on the edge of postseason contention for a good amount of the season.
His contributions were not lost on the young Jets, with offensive coordinator John Morton saying he'd like the veteran back for another go-around in 2018. Knowing his season was over, McCown left his teammates with an impassioned message on Sunday:
Now, New York turns to the young quarterbacks once entrenched behind the veteran. Bryce Petty replaced McCown on Sunday, but completed just 2 of 9 passes for 14 yards in the shutout loss. We should expect Christian Hackenberg to at last get some consideration, which materializes in the parking lots of MetLife Stadium but could filter through the stands down to head coach Todd Bowles as the Jets attempt to learn what they have at the position.
