Josh McCown Has Game Changer Potential With Minnesota
Oct 29, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterbacks coach Josh McCown behind quarterback Bryce Young (9) during wam ups at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Unless you are Mike Vrabel taking a surprise position with the Cleveland Browns, there is not a lot of attention paid to non head coach/coordinator moves in the offseason. Position coach hires are usually buried along the way to free agency and the NFL draft, but it’s these coaches that often have a paramount effect on the development of young players.
The Minnesota Vikings have been fortunate to see this first hand with Keenan McCardell. Originally brought on by Mike Zimmer, and then kept on by Kevin O’Connell, McCardell has been instrumental in helping develop Justin Jefferson into one of the league’s premier players and is now planning on doing the same with Jordan Addison. The sort of success he’s seen leads most to believe that he will be leaving for a better job sooner rather than later. He is a true homerun.
In that same vein O’Connell may have hit it out of the park this season with his QB coach hire. Josh McCown may be the best hire of the entire offseason.
Many people have tied the McCown hire to the possibility of Drake Maye, who he coached in high school. I am here to tell you that Josh McCown is a lot more than Drake Mayes former high school coach. The former journeyman has spent more time in his career being a mentor and a sideline coach than he has an on field signal caller. He was the Eagles emergency backup and has provided a level of support and insight everywhere he’s ever been.
Appearing on Shannon Sharpe’s popular podcast, Club Shay Shay, Johnny Manziel recalled a moment when the Browns defensive coordinator inappropriately attacked Manziel in private for his performances. Of all of Manziel’s deserved critiques, this was not one. The coordinator privately accosted the young player and accused him of not doing more in a way that seemed both petty and inappropriate given his lack of involvement in Manziel’s development. McCown, the backup at the time, found out and went straight to the coordinators office and went off on him for stepping across his lines and negatively affecting a young players outlook he has nothing to do with coaching. The reverence with which Manziel spoke about McCown’s support and guidance was enlightening.
In today’s age of the modern athlete that sort of support and understanding will be important in helping build the career of a young starter. Imagine if the Vikings get Drake Maye and are able to sit him for a year behind Sam Darnold while letting him learn and grow with Kevin O’Connell and Josh McCown constantly in his ear.
That is the sort of thing that makes an Aaron Rodgers or a Patrick Mahomes. In fact, it’s no coincidence that the Packers, who had Tom Clements as their quarterback coach during Brett Favre and during the transition to Aaron Rodgers, brought Clements back for the end of Rodgers and transition to Jordan Love. That seems to have worked out just fine.
Environment and support is everything for a young quarterback. This offense has a ton of weapons, a creative head coach, and now they’ve added one of the best young coaching prospects in the league as a mentor. Make no mistake about it, Josh McCown has the opportunity to be a major difference maker for this franchise.
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