Announced as Week 10 starter

Coach Todd Bowles named McCown the Jets' starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Bills, Eric Allen of the team's official site reports.

Analysis: Sam Darnold was withheld from practice Thursday for the second straight day while battling a strained foot, prompting Bowles to rule him out for the starting nod. That paves the way for McCown to direct the offense for the first time in 2018, though the appointment will likely only be a short-term one, as Bowles reiterated that the struggling Darnold would reclaim the starting role once healthy, per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. The 39-year-old McCown was effective while serving as…read more

Likely to start Sunday against Buffalo

McCown is expected to fill in for the injured Sam Darnold (foot) as the Jets' starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Bills, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports.

Analysis: The Jets haven't officially ruled Darnold out, but all signs point in that direction after he was held out of practice Wednesday while sporting a walking boot on his right foot. With a Week 11 bye coming up, it makes sense for the team to take a cautious approach with the rookie No. 3 overall pick and give McCown at least one start. Given how poorly Darnold has been playing of late, the 39-year-old's presence under center probably improves the fantasy outlook for all of the Jets' pass catchers.

Set to back up Darnold

McCown will open the season as Sam Darnold's backup.

Analysis: This was pretty much assumed since the Jets traded Teddy Bridgewater to the Saints, but the assignment was confirmed Monday, when the Jets officially declared Darnold their starting QB to begin the coming season.

Plays four drives in preseason finale

McCown completed three of eight passes for 26 yards during Thursday's 10-9 preseason loss to Philadelphia in the preseason finale.

Analysis: McCown will serve as the backup to Sam Darnold with Teddy Bridgewater now in New Orleans, so the Jets opted to give the veteran some valuable reps here. While McCown failed to get much going during his four drives in this game, his success as the starter in 2017 suggests he should be able to hold his own if called upon this season.

Staying in New York

McCown is likely to remain with the Jets when the season begins after the team traded fellow quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to the Saints on Wednesday, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports.

Analysis: Given their respective contracts and ages, Bridgewater was always the one with the higher likelihood to get moved. Though McCown served as the Jets' primary starting quarterback in 2017 and performed admirably, he's expected to open the season as the No. 2 quarterback with the team likely to turn the offense over to first-round draft pick Sam Darnold in light of the rookie's impressive training camp.

Healthy scratch again

McCown once again dressed but didn't play in Friday's 22-16 preseason loss to the Giants.

Analysis: As was the case in the previous game against Washington, the snaps under center were split between Sam Darnold and Teddy Bridgewater. McCown appears destined to ride the pine behind one or both of those options once the games start to count.

Doesn't see field in second preseason game

McCown was in uniform for Thursday's 15-13 preseason loss to the Redskins, but he didn't see the field in the Week 2 preseason contest.

Analysis: McCown started the preseason opener and got one drive, but he stayed on the sidelines in this one as Sam Darnold played the first half and Teddy Bridgewater played the second. Coach Todd Bowles described the quarterback situation as "cloudy" after the game, but it certainly appears like the 39-year-old McCown has fallen into third place in the competition at the position with both Darnold and free-agent acquisition Bridgewater exceeding expectations. Week 3 of preseason is traditionally used as…read more

Gets one drive Friday

McCown played one series in Friday's preseason opener against Atlanta, completing his lone pass attempt for four yards while adding a one-yard scramble in the 17-0 win.

Analysis: McCown started but didn't see much action in this one, as the Jets wanted to get extended looks at newcomers Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Darnold. Both of those guys displayed excellent accuracy while tossing a touchdown apiece, so New York's quarterback competition remains far from over. McCown's the frontrunner to start in Week 1 at this point, but he'll have to play well in future preseason contests to keep the job.

McCown (hand) will open training camp as the Jets' starting quarterback, Eric Allen of the Jets' official site reports.

Analysis: While McCown will begin camp as the team's starter, coach Todd Bowles also made sure to note that it remains to be seen what happens at the end of camp. Rookie Sam Darnold and Teddy Bridgewater (knee) will surely be eyeing an opportunity at the starting job. McCown is the incumbent and has experience on his side, but his two younger counterparts should have more upside in the long run.

McCown (hand) intends to help with Sam Darnold's development while also competing against the rookie for the starting job, Manish Mehta of The New York Daily News reports.

Analysis: McCown figures to take the first snap with the starting offense when training camp begins, but Darnold and Teddy Bridgewater also figure to get their fair share of opportunities. McCown and Bridgewater probably knew what they were signing up for, as the Jets never bothered to hide their intention of drafting a quarterback in the first round. McCown likely has made a full recovery from the broken left hand that brought his 2017 campaign to an early end.

McCown (hand) will enter training camp as the starting quarterback, but Jets coach Todd Bowles suggested the 38-year-old will need to fend off competition, Calvin Watkins of Newsday reports. "Josh will go into it as the starter, and by the end of training camp, we'll see who the starter is," Bowles said.

Analysis: In addition to re-signing McCown, the Jets added Teddy Bridgewater and traded up for the No. 3 pick in the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft. Even if Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg are non-factors, the team could be headed for a three-way camp battle to determine the Week 1 starter. There doesn't seem to be much concern regarding the broken left hand that ended McCown's 2017 campaign, as the Jets signed him to a one-year, $10 million contract that includes a $5 million signing bonus,…read more

Re-ups in New York

The Jets re-signed McCown (hand) on Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Analysis: Prior to sustaining a broken left hand Week 14, McCown provided a steady hand under center for the Jets, averaging 240 yards per game and recording 18 touchdowns versus eight interceptions over the first 12 contests of the 2017 campaign. With another one-year contract in his back pocket, the 38-year-old will continue to serve as a bridge quarterback to Bryce Petty, Christian Hackenberg or whoever the Jets select in the upcoming draft.

The hand injury that ended McCown's 2017 season is "healing up," and the veteran QB indicated that he is just a "few weeks away" from being 100 percent, NJ.com reports.

Analysis: The 38-year-old signal caller is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but he's leaning toward playing again in 2018, and if so would prefer to return to the Jets. Per the report, GM Mike Maccagnan and coach Todd Bowles have both said they'd like McCown back next season, and a reunion makes sense, given that the team seems likely to draft its QB-of-the-future in April. In such a scenario, McCown would be an ideal mentor/bridge starter for the team.

McCown (hand) could return to the Jets for the 2018 season, NorthJersey.com reports.

Analysis: McCown's success with the Jets was one of the surprises of the year, as he completed 267 of 397 passes for 2,926 passes and 18 touchdowns before suffering a season-ending broken hand in Week 13 against the Broncos. Backup Bryce Petty, who took over the starting job when McCown went down, is unlikely to return next season, and with the Jets potentially out of range to select a quarterback with their first-round pick in the draft, McCown could return for another stopgap season.

McCown underwent surgery Tuesday to repair his fractured left hand, Andy Vasquez of The Bergen Record reports.

Analysis: The 38-year-old was placed on injured reserve the same day, ending what had been a surprisingly strong season for the well-traveled quarterback. Bryce Petty will start for the Jets in Sunday's game against the Saints and is expected to remain the team's top signal caller the rest of the way. Set to become a free agent this offseason, McCown's age will likely force him to settle for a one-year deal if he opts to keep his career going.

The Jets placed McCown (hand) on injured reserve Tuesday, Ethan Greenberg of the team's official site reports.

Analysis: Once surgery was ordered up on his broken left hand, McCown was destined to land on IR. Due to his exploits this season, the Jets sit just two games out of a playoff spot at 5-8. That said, McCown's replacement, Bryce Petty, will be hard-pressed to complete such a journey. An upcoming unrestricted free agent, McCown likely earned enough clout with the organization to get another chance to serve as the bridge to a quarterback of the future.

Season over

Head coach Todd Bowles said Monday that McCown will have a season-ending procedure on his left hand, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Analysis: McCown's outlook didn't look sunny when he took the podium after Sunday's game at Denver with a cast on the hand. Prior to the injury, he put on a dreadful performance, completing six of 12 passes for 46 yards and one interception while losing a fumble. Overall, though, he had a fair campaign, with a completion percentage of 67.3 percent, 2,926 yards and an 18:9 TD:INT in 13 games. With placement on injured reserve imminent, McCown will be replaced by 2015 fifth-round pick Bryce Petty, who will…read more

Likely out for year

Jets wide receiver Jermaine Kearse sounded resigned to not having McCown (hand) for the rest of the season, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com.

Analysis: Kearse was talking up backup Bryce Petty during a Monday conference call, saying the backup QB brings a high energy level and has the ability to extend plays. McCown was diagnosed with a broken left hand after exiting Sunday's 23-0 loss to the Broncos, but Jets head coach Todd Bowles left the door open for the 38-year-old quarterback to play through the injury in the closing weeks of the season. It already seemed like an unlikely proposition, and Kearse's comments provide another hint McCown…read more

Suffers broken left hand

McCown suffered a broken left (non-throwing) hand in Sunday's loss to the Broncos, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Analysis: Coming off a huge outing the previous week, McCown completed six of 12 passes for 46 yards -- with an interception and a lost fumble -- prior to being removed late in the third quarter. Jets head coach Todd Bowles said McCown will have further testing to determine if he can play through the injury, with Bryce Petty in line to take over if it's determined that McCown can't go, per ESPN.com's Rich Cimini. Petty completed just two of nine passes for 14 yards in relief of McCown during Sunday's…read more

McCown was forced out of Sunday's game against the Broncos with a left hand injury, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports.

Analysis: With McCown banged up, Bryce Petty took over at quarterback for the Jets. Prior to his exit from Sunday's game, McCown completed six of 12 passes for 46 yards and an interception, while adding two carries for seven yards.

Jets head coach Todd Bowles said Wednesday that McCown will be the team's starting quarterback for the rest of the season, Brian Costello of the New York Post reports.

Analysis: While there was some thought the Jets would turn to one of their two younger quarterbacks once reaching the playoffs became unattainable, Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg haven't given the organization reason to believe they can be anything much more than mediocre backups. McCown's strong play this season wasn't enough to keep the Jets in contention, but it has at least given them a fair shot to evaluate the rest of their roster, the pass catchers in particular. McCown will travel to Denver…read more

McCown completed 26 of 36 passes for 331 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in Sunday's 38-31 win over the Chiefs. He also rushed seven times for 19 yards and two touchdowns.

Analysis: McCown continues to defy both the odds and Father Time, as he actually seems to be getting better the later it gets into the season. The 38-year-old was at it again against a vulnerable Chiefs secondary in Week 13, connecting with starting wideouts Jermaine Kearse and Robby Anderson for a combined 17 completions and 264 yards. He hit Matt Forte for his one touchdown and also keyed two critical fourth-quarter drives that proved to be the difference in the game. His one-yard touchdown sneak with…read more

McCown completed 19 of 36 passes for 307 yards and three touchdowns during Sunday's 35-27 loss to Carolina. He rushed for 28 yards on two carries, but lost a fumble.

Analysis: McCown's fumble was returned for a touchdown in what ended up being the difference of the game. It was otherwise an excellent outing for the veteran and just his third game of the year with multiple touchdown passes and no interceptions and his first such game with three scores. It was especially impressive given that it came against what is typically a stout Carolina defense. McCown will continue to be tested in the weeks ahead with matchups versus Kansas City and Denver, but he's dangerous…read more

McCown completed 23 of 39 passes for 262 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in Sunday's 15-10 loss to the Buccaneers. He also fumbled once and recovered.

Analysis: The veteran was often under duress in his return to Tampa, as he was taken down six times and hit on another eight occasions. McCown did have his moments, firing a 38-yard score to Robby Anderson and connecting with seven different pass catchers on the afternoon. The 38-year-old's passing yardage total was his second best of the season, although Sunday did mark his first game with a completion rate south of 60.0 percent. Despite the disappointing team outcome, McCown has helped the Jets exceed…read more