But he is a class act...Q thinks so too!
McCown nearing end of days with Cardinals
BOB BAUM
Associated Press
TEMPE, Ariz. - Josh McCown's up-and-down career with the Arizona Cardinals is almost certainly nearing an end, and it looks as if he will go out as a starter.
With Kurt Warner out with a season-ending knee injury, McCown will back at quarterback against the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday in the Cardinals' final home game of the season.
At least publicly, McCown won't say he is finished with the Cardinals when he becomes an unrestricted free agent after this season. But after losing the starting job three times in two seasons under coach Dennis Green, he understands his best opportunities probably lie elsewhere.
"I think uneven is the way it is," Green said of McCown's last two seasons. "We're very demanding in what we want offensively. We don't make any excuses about it. We're very demanding, and that's just the way it is."
McCown is 9-11 as a starter with Arizona. In the past two years under Green, the Cardinals are 8-9 with McCown as the starter, 2-11 with anyone else.
"All I can say is he's a pro," wide receiver Anquan Boldin said. "I mean, through all the situations he's been through, he's handled it well, a lot better than a lot of people would have."
McCown, a third-round draft pick out of Sam Houston State in 2002, refuses to express bitterness over his treatment.
"I can't live my life that way, being bitter," he said after Wednesday's practice. "That's the one thing I do know about the future is if you stay bitter, you won't have one. You can't move forward, you can't walk forward looking down all the time because you're worried about what just happened to you."
When Green was hired, he said McCown was his guy, the young quarterback to direct the big turnaround for one of the least successful franchise's in all professional sports. But unhappy with the sputtering offense, Green benched McCown 10 games into last season, even though the team had won two in a row and three of four.
Arizona lost the next three before McCown regained the job. In the offseason, Arizona signed Warner and Green made him the starter.
Then in the third game this season, Warner went down with a groin strain. The following week, the Cardinals played San Francisco in Mexico City, and McCown had one of the most prolific passing games in franchise history. He completed 29 of 46 passes for 398 yards. Only Marc Bulger, who had 442 yards passing for St. Louis against the New York Giants, has thrown for more this season. The following week in a home loss to Carolina, McCown threw for 385 yards, fourth most in the NFL this year.
Even though Arizona beat Tennessee the following week, the offense began to struggle. After the Cardinals lost at Dallas 34-13, McCown was back on the sidelines. Warner has gone on to have a strong season, and McCown could only watch and wait.
"Those are the things that happened," McCown said. "Because of it I'm a better man, I'm a better player, I'm a better professional. I don't regret any of it and I'm just happy to have the opportunity to be here and be a part of this team."
Warner has worked closely with McCown and understands his plight.
"You have to find that right situation to get into and succeed," Warner said. "I was fortunate when I went to St. Louis. My career, who knows what it would have been had I not gotten the opportunity. I think that is one of the frustrating things for Josh is that he's waiting to find that perfect opportunity where he can go in, step in and play his kind of football."
Warner wants to come back. Green expects third-stringer John Navarre to move up on the depth chart. The Cardinals signed ex-New England backup Rohan Davey on Wednesday to a deal that goes through 2006. The team could be looking to draft a quarterback to groom as it moves into its new stadium next fall.
That leaves little room for McCown, even if he wanted to come back.
In the meantime, he said he plans to "make sure you enjoy every relationship as it is because it may be the last time around.
"I just cherish the relationships with everybody, from the secretaries and trainers to obviously the players and coaches," McCown said. "I'll do that, and if it is it, it's been awesome and I've enjoyed it. If not, I'll look forward to next year."
McCown nearing end of days with Cardinals
BOB BAUM
Associated Press
TEMPE, Ariz. - Josh McCown's up-and-down career with the Arizona Cardinals is almost certainly nearing an end, and it looks as if he will go out as a starter.
With Kurt Warner out with a season-ending knee injury, McCown will back at quarterback against the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday in the Cardinals' final home game of the season.
At least publicly, McCown won't say he is finished with the Cardinals when he becomes an unrestricted free agent after this season. But after losing the starting job three times in two seasons under coach Dennis Green, he understands his best opportunities probably lie elsewhere.
"I think uneven is the way it is," Green said of McCown's last two seasons. "We're very demanding in what we want offensively. We don't make any excuses about it. We're very demanding, and that's just the way it is."
McCown is 9-11 as a starter with Arizona. In the past two years under Green, the Cardinals are 8-9 with McCown as the starter, 2-11 with anyone else.
"All I can say is he's a pro," wide receiver Anquan Boldin said. "I mean, through all the situations he's been through, he's handled it well, a lot better than a lot of people would have."
McCown, a third-round draft pick out of Sam Houston State in 2002, refuses to express bitterness over his treatment.
"I can't live my life that way, being bitter," he said after Wednesday's practice. "That's the one thing I do know about the future is if you stay bitter, you won't have one. You can't move forward, you can't walk forward looking down all the time because you're worried about what just happened to you."
When Green was hired, he said McCown was his guy, the young quarterback to direct the big turnaround for one of the least successful franchise's in all professional sports. But unhappy with the sputtering offense, Green benched McCown 10 games into last season, even though the team had won two in a row and three of four.
Arizona lost the next three before McCown regained the job. In the offseason, Arizona signed Warner and Green made him the starter.
Then in the third game this season, Warner went down with a groin strain. The following week, the Cardinals played San Francisco in Mexico City, and McCown had one of the most prolific passing games in franchise history. He completed 29 of 46 passes for 398 yards. Only Marc Bulger, who had 442 yards passing for St. Louis against the New York Giants, has thrown for more this season. The following week in a home loss to Carolina, McCown threw for 385 yards, fourth most in the NFL this year.
Even though Arizona beat Tennessee the following week, the offense began to struggle. After the Cardinals lost at Dallas 34-13, McCown was back on the sidelines. Warner has gone on to have a strong season, and McCown could only watch and wait.
"Those are the things that happened," McCown said. "Because of it I'm a better man, I'm a better player, I'm a better professional. I don't regret any of it and I'm just happy to have the opportunity to be here and be a part of this team."
Warner has worked closely with McCown and understands his plight.
"You have to find that right situation to get into and succeed," Warner said. "I was fortunate when I went to St. Louis. My career, who knows what it would have been had I not gotten the opportunity. I think that is one of the frustrating things for Josh is that he's waiting to find that perfect opportunity where he can go in, step in and play his kind of football."
Warner wants to come back. Green expects third-stringer John Navarre to move up on the depth chart. The Cardinals signed ex-New England backup Rohan Davey on Wednesday to a deal that goes through 2006. The team could be looking to draft a quarterback to groom as it moves into its new stadium next fall.
That leaves little room for McCown, even if he wanted to come back.
In the meantime, he said he plans to "make sure you enjoy every relationship as it is because it may be the last time around.
"I just cherish the relationships with everybody, from the secretaries and trainers to obviously the players and coaches," McCown said. "I'll do that, and if it is it, it's been awesome and I've enjoyed it. If not, I'll look forward to next year."
Good Luck Josh
