Getty Ex-New York Jets quarterback Josh McCown walking off the field after a tough contes
The New York Jets hit the reset button this offseason. One coaching staff went out and a new group came in.
When those coaches were being assembled, it seemed clear that the green and white had a plan. It featured a healthy mix of both youth and experience.
Unfortunately, the coaching staff that head coach Robert Saleh initially put together when he was first hired isn’t the one he has six weeks through the 2021 season.
Greg Knapp was supposed to be the passing game specialist for the Jets, but more importantly, was the seasoned pro in the room for rookie quarterback Zach Wilson.
The 58-year-old was a part of the brass that decided to draft the former BYU stud and they developed a very close relationship over their short time together. Sadly Knapp passed away tragically on July 22 due to injuries suffered from a bicycle accident.
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Massive Loss for the Team
After losing Knapp, the Jets ended up pivoting and adding Matt Cavanaugh in the same role. Despite his massive level of experience, it hasn’t been the same.
“They had a guy that coached me in Greg Knapp and I really liked him,” Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young on the impact of Knapp’s loss via The Michael Kay Show. “There was a lot of balance that was going to come with Knapp. He has been around for a long time and has coached guys like me, Peyton Manning, Michael Vick, and Matt Ryan. He knew the NFL and I was very comfortable with him as the guy for the Jets, but with the tragic loss, I became very uncomfortable. Plus without a backup that has been around for a long time, they’re naked right now.”
Really interesting here from Steve Young on how much the tragic loss of Greg Knapp has affected ZW/ML relationship and developing both of them as rookies
Wilson has gone through his fair share of trials and tribulations in the first six weeks of the 2021 season and he hasn’t had someone to bounce things off of.
In the quarterback room, the green and white decided to go with Mike White as the primary backup. He has yet to play in an NFL game and can’t provide anything of substantial value to a 22-year old rookie working his way through his very first season.
A Chance to Fill a Void
The Jets made a choice to not add a veteran quarterback at really any point of the offseason (Josh Johnson doesn’t really count). When you also consider the tragedy that occurred in the coaching staff, this left a massive void on the team.
It sounds like Gang Green wants to amend that sooner rather than later.
Jason La Canfora of CBS said the Jets have been “keeping tabs” on veteran quarterback Josh McCown.
The seasoned pro initially entered the league back in 2002 and has played for 10 different teams during his 19 year NFL career.
Most recently he spent last season on both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Houston Texans’ practice squad as an emergency COVID quarterback. Following the season he decided to step away and go watch his kids play high school football in Texas.
According to La Canfora, the Jets continue to check in on McCown with hopes that he’ll sign with a team following the high school football season. There is a chance he could return to the pros by “Week 9 or Week 10.”
McCown is a guy who has been through the wringer and has certainly witnessed the highs and lows of the sport. That’s something you can’t put a price tag or a value on.
That kind of aura in the room would be invaluable to Wilson’s development this season. Inevitably the youngster is going to go through some more lows and when that happens it would be super beneficial to have a guy like McCown in the film room after the game to walk through the ups and downs.
Jets fans will remember McCown fondly from his two years with the team from 2017 through 2018. He mentored a young Sam Darnold and proved to be an emotional leader for the team.
Now he has a chance to return to his old stomping grounds to help another young promising passer reach his full potential.
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