Imagine a world where the backup quarterback doubled as a wide receiver. It almost happened, in Philadelphia.
With the Eagles down to the last two receivers on their roster — and one of them limping off the field late in the fourth quarter — the team almost turned to Josh McCown for help.
The 40-year-old was ready to strap on the helmet and go in after injuries to Alshon Jeffery and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside shortened the bench. The team was already without Nelson Agholor. And McCown had a uniform on.
“Why can’t he? He’s active, he’s dressed,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson told 94WIP’s Angelo Cataldi. “He’s actually done that in a game before. Now, it has been about 10 years ago, but he has lined up as a receiver in an actual football game.”
The backup quarterback did it in 2006 when he lined up as a wide receiver for the Detroit Lions in a game against the New England Patriots. He actually caught two passes for 15 yards in that game. Go figure.
“I’m not quite the option that J.J. [Arcega-Whiteside] is or Greg [Ward],” McCown told reporters, “but we were kind of up against it a little bit, and just having a contingency plan was the main thing. I was ready to roll.”
Josh McCown is a 40-year-old quarterback, but he was preparing to play receiver on Monday night if the Eagles needed him to.
Yes, you read that correctly.
McCown Actually Had Good Moves as WR
Maybe the Eagles should consider moving Josh McCown to wide receiver. It couldn’t hurt, right?
Alshon Jeffery is officially done for the season and when Nelson Agholor returns from his nagging knee injury is anyone’s guess. While we’re joking about McCown coming in to catch passes from Carson Wentz, the backup quarterback sure looked agile in his pass-catching video. He broke quite a few tackles and initiated contact. Granted, this happened 13 years ago when McCown was only 27 years old.
“We were ready to roll,” McCown told NBC Sports Philadelphia about possibly playing receiver for the Eagles. “Shoot, I was ready to get in and go. Obviously, as a quarterback, you know the offense.”
McCown Flies to North Carolina Every Weekend to Coach
One of the most forgotten stories this year has been Josh McCown’s dedication to coaching high school football. The backup quarterback flies home every weekend to coach Myers Park High School in Charlotte, according to ESPN’s Tim McManus.
It’s a grind as he leaves after practice on Friday afternoons and gets Myers Park — his son, Owen, is the varsity backup quarterback — ready for their prime-time game. Then, after the final whistle sounds, McCown is back on a flight to Philadelphia and hopefully in his bed before 1 a.m. He has a walk-through the next day with the Eagles, after all.
From Eagles backup QB to High School coach for his sons in North Carolina, Josh McCown is finding that it’s all about balance. (via @Tim_McManus) t.co/3T6oBfs3E1
Per ESPN: “My human experience has been involved with the game of football, right, through high school, college and this pro career that has taken me all over, everywhere. I just look at that and go, ‘How can I leverage my experience to maybe make somebody else’s journey better or share something with them that can encourage them?’ That’s why high school football is important to me,” McCown says.
READ NEXT: Jalen Ramsey, Eric Berry Among NFL Players for Eagles to Target
Follow the Heavy Philadelphia Eagles page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Comments
Eagles Backup QB Almost Played WR for Depleted Offense