The great importance of Josh McCown in 2018

As the New York Jets continue to prepare for the upcoming season, Josh McCown is of great importance thanks to his part in coaching, developing, and training rookie quarterback Sam Darnold.

When the New York Jets signed free agent quarterback Josh McCown last offseason, it was met with a lot of moans and groans by fans. Many believed that he was a washed up veteran that didn’t win a whole lot of football games with the Cleveland Browns and will likely not do well with the Jets in any capacity.

Not only was McCown a pleasant surprise on the gridiron, posting his best season yet in his entire career with the Jets, he was a great influence in the locker room. McCown earned the respect of everyone and even though the Jets won just five games last season, the entire team played with heart and determination.

There is a big reason why the quarterback position is the most important on any team. Ideally, rookie quarterback Sam Darnold couldn’t have asked to be in a better situation than with the Jets to begin his transition to the pros. He’ll get to work under McCown who will undoubtedly teach him the ins and outs of how to be a great quarterback both on and off the field.

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Make no mistake about it, McCown is of great importance and will ensure Darnold is completely ready before his number is called. There is no reason to start Darnold anytime soon until he is 100 percent ready as this is likely the Jets plan as to when he’ll start. Rushing Darnold would stunt his growth and it’s a path the Jets have been down already too many times in the past.

With McCown, he can hold down the fort until it’s time for Darnold to begin a new era for the Jets under center. Considering that McCown was only brought back for one season, means that 2018 will likely be his final year in having one of the biggest impacts on the future of the organization.

Darnold is a raw talent and under the right coaching and training, can indeed be a future star in the city that never sleeps. But remember, he’s only as good as the teacher showing him the ropes and McCown is one of the best quarterbacks to use in this role.

McCown is going to mold Darnold and prepare him for the biggest journey is his life and once all is set and done, years from now fans will remember who was the veteran mentor that put him on the path of greatness. We’ll all sit back, smile, and remember that is was Uncle Josh that had his hand in the Jets finally having a franchise quarterback ready to make some serious noise.