Jacksonville Jaguars: How much could QB Josh McCown help?

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ quarterback depth chart is set and pretty straightforward. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is the starter and C.J. Beathard is entrenched as the primary backup. With that being said, could the Jags add veteran Josh McCown to the equation? They may, according to a recent report.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports the Jaguars and other NFL clubs were interested in McCown this past offseason. He points out that McCown was a serious candidate for the Houston Texans’ coaching vacancy earlier this year but opted to return to Rusk, Texas, where his children play football.

"They and others continue to check in about his interest in returning to the NFL after their high school season is complete. McCown could return to the NFL by Week 9 or 10, should a scenario emerge that is to his liking, though he has not made a formal determination of what he would do in November when Rusk’s season is complete."

McCown was a second-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2002 NFL Draft. He’s appeared in 102 games with 76 starts and completed 1,584 of 2,633 passes for 17,731 yards with 98 yards and 82 interceptions. The veteran has spent time with the Las Vegas Raiders, the Chicago Bears, the New York Jets, the Tampa Bay Buccanneers, the Cleveland Browns, the Detroit Lions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Philadelphia Eagles. Last season, he was a member of Philly’s practice squad before fishing the year with the Houston Texans.

The Jacksonville Jaguars don’t need Josh McCown at this moment.

It’s always helpful to have a veteran voice in the quarterback room. McCown has accumulated plenty of experience throughout his NFL career and many teams would benefit from his presence. However, Trevor Lawrence is doing just fine in Jacksonville. The top overall pick in the 2021 draft is going through a learning curve but he’s steadily improving and trending in the right direction.

Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and quarterback coach Brian Schottenheimer seem to be doing a good job of bringing Lawrence along. How much could McCown add to the Jaguars’ quarterback room? Also, would the team’s brass sign him to the active roster or the practice squad? McCown won’t have a shortage of options and other teams may have more favorable situations.

On the other hand, the Jags should consider signing McCown if, and only if Lawrence suffered an injury that forced him to miss an extended period of time. It wouldn’t make much sense to sign the veteran if Lawrence only missed a couple of games. In that case, they could promote sophomore Jake Luton to the active roster and C.J. Beathard could get the starting nod. But if the rookie quarterback missed several weeks, McCown could be a valuable addition.

The Jacksonville Jaguars could have been performing due diligence with McCown. Maybe their interest in him is serious. There are several position groups on the Jags’ roster that could use a boost but quarterback isn’t currently one of them. They could revisit the issue as the season progresses but they’re currently set at the position.