Jaguars talk with Josh McCown may not amount to much

The Jacksonville Jaguars had compiled a list of candidates for their head coaching job, so when news about them having a conversation with former NFL quarterback Josh McCown surfaced, more than a few eyebrows were raised. However, it doesn’t look like there was much to the meeting.

McCown recently interviewed for the Houston Texans’ own head coach opening. This was the second year in a job he applied for the job, so it seems like there is a legitimate interest in him, Ian Rapaport of NFL Media acknowledged as much.

At this point, you may be wondering what this has to do with the Jags. Easy, they also “had a conversation” with McCown, via Aaron Wilson of Baltimore Sun. Michael Silver later noted that the aforementioned “conversation” was not an interview and was instead a talk, so this is probably headed nowhere and he’s not a realistic candidate for Jacksonville’s head coaching vacancy.

A third-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2003, McCown suited up for nine different teams throughout his 16-year career. His best season came as a member of the Chicago Bears in 2013, completing 66.5 percent of his passes for 1,829 yards with 13 touchdowns and just one interception. He last appeared in a regular-season game for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2019. He was signed to their practice squad in 2020 and was later inked by the Texans in 2021 only to be released not long after.

Josh McCown isn’t a realistic head coaching candidate for the Jaguars.

The Jaguars already held a second interview with Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Ebeflus and it seems like they’re no longer interested in former Texans head coach Bill O’Brien, so their head coaching search it’s running its course. At this point of the process, it’s unlikely that a surprise candidate will pop up. If anything, it will be worth keeping an eye on whom they will meet next and whether they will wait for Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Matt Eberflus or Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.

Since former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson and former Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell were the first candidates to interview for the Jaguars’ head coaching job, it would be fair to think that they will soon get a second interview, and if they don’t, it will most likely mean that they’re no longer seen as viable candidates for the job. That would also point towards the Jags narrowing down their choices.

While no stone should be left unturned when looking for a head coach, it wouldn’t make sense for the Jaguars to consider McCown as a realistic candidate for the vacancy. After all, they’re already in the next stage of the process and it may not make sense to deviate from the route they have taken.