Josh McCown Continues to Draw High Praise
Jun 10, 2014; Tampa Bay, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh McCown (12) works out during mini camp at One Buccaneer Place. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh McCown continues to draw high praise from both both current and former teammates.
The new Bucs signal caller was signed to a two-year deal in the offseason, despite only having one good season (which came in 2013) in what has been a mediocre 12-year career.
In eight games last year, McCown threw for 1,829 yards with 13 touchdowns and just one interception.
Bucs linebacker Jonathan Casillas and McCown’s former teammate in Arizona, Larry Fitzgerald, have both sung his praises.
"Fitzgerald said, “I love Josh, he’s a football junkie. You have to force the guy to come off the field in practice and the man’s a great leader, the kind of guy you want in your locker room.’’“Josh is going to help Mike Glennon a ton. You can ask any quarterback who has ever been around Josh — Cutler, Kurt Warner, anybody — and they will tell you he’s an ideal teammate. Even if he’s not playing, he’s going to be your biggest fan. He’s just that kind of guy … he’ll never be a pouter.’’"
Fitzgerald played with McCown for two seasons, in 2004 and 2005. Casillas, who now sees McCown on a daily basis, went one step further with his praise, comparing him to New Orleans quarterback, Drew Brees.
"“McCown looks like he’s played a couple of years in this game. It’s a strong comparison, but he reminds me of Drew (Brees), not just the way he throws the ball, but his approach to the game. The first one in, the last one out, he’s always around. He’s very communicable, very personable. And you can tell he’s a born leader.“You know, he’s not even trying to do much now, but people are following him, just his approach to the game. And like I said, Glennon is learning a lot from him. So, if Glennon can beat him out this year, that will be great. Because at the end of the day, if Glennon can beat McCown out, then we’re going to get a good quarterback.”"
Now, Casillas didn’t compare McCown to Brees in terms of how good they are on the field (there’s no comparison), but after Casillas got to see Brees work for a number of years due to his time with the Saints, it’s encouraging to see a similar work ethic.
As of right now, McCown is the starter but Glennon is waiting in the wings. Who knows how long McCown will last under center, but it seems like he’s doing all he can in preparation to succeed.