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Josh McCown
refer to caption
McCown with the Cleveland Browns in 2016
Minnesota Vikings
Position: Quarterbacks coach
Personal information
Born: (1979-07-04) July 4, 1979 (age 45)
Jacksonville, Texas, U.S.
Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight: 218 lb (99 kg)
Career information
High school: Jacksonville (Texas)
College: SMU (1998–2000)
Sam Houston State (2001)
NFL Draft: 2002 / Round: 3 / Pick: 81
Career history
As player:
As coach:
Career highlights and awards
  • SFL Player of the Year (2001)
  • Third-team Division I-AA All-American (2001)
  • First-team All-SFL (2001)
Career NFL statistics
Pass completions: 1,584
Pass attempts: 2,633
Percentage: 60.2
TD–INT: 98–82
Passing yards: 17,731
Passer rating: 79.7
Player stats at PFR

Joshua Treadwell McCown (born July 4, 1979) is an American football coach and former quarterback. He is currently the quarterbacks coach for the Minnesota Vikings in the National Football League (NFL).

McCown played college football for the SMU Mustangs and Sam Houston Bearkats. He was chosen by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2002 NFL draft. McCown played for eighteen seasons in the NFL. He played for twelve different teams, mostly as a backup quarterback. He also spent one season in the United Football League (UFL).

Early Life and High School Football

Josh McCown grew up on a ranch in Jacksonville, Texas. He went to Jacksonville High School. He had a big growth spurt in high school. This helped his football career a lot. McCown once said his first driver's license showed he was 5-foot-4. But by age 16, he was still 5-foot-4. A coach said they knew Josh would be good if he grew. He really started growing in his junior year.

In his senior year in 1997, McCown led his team to the playoffs. He was named the East Texas Player of the Year. He also earned All-State honors. He played basketball too. He won All-District honors as a shooting guard. In 2013, he was added to the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Wall of Fame.

College Football Career

Playing for the SMU Mustangs

McCown played college football for the SMU Mustangs. He was there from 1998 to 2000. He threw for 4,022 yards and 27 touchdowns. He also threw 34 interceptions. He started 25 games for the Mustangs.

In 1998, his freshman year, he played in 9 games. He started 5 of them. He completed 46 of 99 passes for 619 yards. He had 7 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. McCown was the first freshman to start as quarterback for the team since 1989. In 1999, he started 10 games. He completed 125 of 234 passes for 1,434 yards. He had 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He set a school record by completing 19 passes in a row against Tulsa. In 2000, his junior year, he started 9 games. He threw for 1,969 yards. He had 9 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He threw for 420 yards against Texas-El Paso. This was the third-highest total in SMU history.

Playing for the Sam Houston State Bearkats

For his senior year, McCown moved to Sam Houston State. He wanted to play in an offense that threw the ball more. He also wanted a better chance to win games. In his one season with the Bearkats, he threw for 3,481 yards. He had 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2001. This was more touchdowns than his three years at SMU combined.

The Bearkats finished the season with a 10–3 record. They were co-champions of the Southland Football League. Sam Houston State won their first playoff game. They reached the quarterfinals of the Division I-AA national playoffs. McCown set new school records for completions, attempts, yards, and touchdowns in a single season. He also ran for 351 yards and 6 touchdowns. He was named the SFL Player of the Year. He also earned Third Team Division I-AA All-American honors. He was one of 16 players considered for the Walter Payton Award. This award goes to the top player in NCAA Division I-AA football. McCown finished seventh in the voting. He was inducted into the Sam Houston Athletic Hall of Honor in 2013.

College Statistics Overview

Year Team Passing Rushing
Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg TD
1998 SMU 46 99 46.5 619 6.3 7 8 106.2 51 35 0.7 0
1999 SMU 125 234 53.4 1,434 6.1 11 10 111.9 69 −9 −0.1 1
2000 SMU 169 331 51.1 1,969 5.9 9 16 100.3 78 175 2.2 3
2001 Sam Houston State 259 429 60.4 3,481 8.1 32 12 147.6 112 351 3.1 6
Career 599 1,093 54.8 7,503 6.9 59 46 121.9 310 552 1.7 10

Professional Football Journey

Pre-draft measurables
Height Arm length Hand size 40-yard dash 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Wonderlic
6 ft 3+7⁄8 in
(1.93 m)		 30+1⁄2 in
(0.77 m)		 9 in
(0.23 m)		 4.57–4.64 s 3.90 s 6.85 s 38.5 in
(0.98 m)		 10 ft 0 in
(3.05 m)		 30
All values from 2002 NFL Scouting Combine. See note for missing values

Starting with the Arizona Cardinals

McCown had a great performance at the NFL Combine. He was chosen by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2002 NFL draft. He was the fourth quarterback picked. The Cardinals' head coach, Dave McGinnis, liked McCown's background. He also said McCown was a "fabulous athlete." McCown played for the Cardinals from 2002 to 2005.

In 2002, McCown became the team's second-string quarterback. He made his NFL debut on December 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs. He played in 2 games. In 2003, he was mostly a backup. He started the last three games of the season. In the final game, he threw a game-winning touchdown pass. It was to wide receiver Nate Poole as time ran out. This win kept the Minnesota Vikings out of the playoffs. McCown played in 8 games, starting 3. He threw for 1,018 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also rushed for a career-high 158 yards.

In 2004, new head coach Dennis Green named McCown the starter. McCown started the first nine games. He led the team to a 4–5 record. He threw for a career-high three touchdowns against the 49ers. He also had his first 300-yard game against the 49ers. McCown played in 14 games, starting 13. He threw for 2,511 yards and 11 touchdowns.

In 2005, the Cardinals signed Kurt Warner. Warner became the starter. McCown was the backup. McCown started four games when Warner was injured. One of these was the first NFL regular season game outside the United States. It was played in Mexico City. He threw for a career-high 385 yards. The Cardinals won that game. McCown also threw for 398 yards against the Carolina Panthers. He became the first Cardinals quarterback to throw for over 350 yards in two games in a row. McCown played in 9 games, starting 6. He threw for 1,836 yards and 9 touchdowns.

McCown became a free agent after the 2005 season. He played in 33 games for the Cardinals, starting 22. He threw for 5,431 yards and 25 touchdowns.

Time with the Detroit Lions and Oakland Raiders

In 2006, McCown signed with the Detroit Lions. He hoped to be a starter. But Jon Kitna was named the starter. McCown was his backup for the whole season. He even played as a wide receiver in some games. He caught two passes for 15 yards.

After the 2006 season, McCown asked to be traded. In 2007, he was traded to the Oakland Raiders. He competed to be the starting quarterback. He won the job. In Week 1, he threw for 313 yards and 2 touchdowns. He started 9 games for the Raiders. He threw for 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Raiders finished with a 4–12 record. McCown became a free agent in 2008.

Moving to the Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers

On February 29, 2008, McCown signed with the Miami Dolphins. He hoped to compete for the starting job. But Chad Pennington signed with the Dolphins. Pennington became the starter. Before the season started, McCown was traded to the Carolina Panthers.

McCown was the backup to Jake Delhomme for the 2008 season. He played in two games. In 2009, McCown was again the primary backup. In Week 1, he entered the game after Delhomme struggled. McCown injured his left knee and foot. He was placed on injured reserve, ending his season. He became a free agent in 2010.

Playing in the United Football League

McCown signed with the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League (UFL) in 2010. He chose to stay with the Colonials to honor his contract. He also wanted more playing time. He felt playing games helped him improve. He threw for 265 yards and 3 touchdowns in the first game. He was named Offensive Player of the Week. McCown threw for 1,463 yards and 10 touchdowns in 8 games. His 79.3 passer rating was the highest in the UFL.

Brief Stint with the San Francisco 49ers

In 2011, McCown signed with the San Francisco 49ers. He was expected to be the third-string quarterback. But he was released before the season started.

Years with the Chicago Bears

2011 Season Highlights

On November 23, 2011, McCown signed with the Chicago Bears. He was a backup after an injury to Jay Cutler. On December 21, he started the Christmas Day game against the Packers. He completed 19 of 28 passes for 242 yards. He had a touchdown and 2 interceptions. In Week 17, he helped the Bears win 17–13 against the Vikings.

2013 Season Success

On March 29, 2013, McCown signed another one-year deal with the Bears. In Week 7, he entered the game after Cutler got hurt. McCown threw for 204 yards and a touchdown. On November 4, McCown started for the injured Cutler. He led the Bears to a win over the Packers on Monday Night Football. He threw for 272 yards and two touchdowns.

McCown had a great run of games. He threw for 352 yards against the St. Louis Rams. The next week, he threw for 355 yards against the Vikings. In Week 14, he threw for a career-high 4 touchdowns against the Cowboys. He also ran for another touchdown. He became the first Bears quarterback to score five touchdowns in a game since 1970. McCown was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week. He was also the first Bears quarterback to throw for over 300 yards in three straight games.

McCown finished the 2013 season with a 109.0 passer rating. This was the best in Bears history. He also had the NFL's lowest interception percentage. The Bears finished the season with an 8–8 record. McCown was named to the USA Today All-Joe Team. He also won the Brian Piccolo Award.

Josh McCown vs. Redskins 2014 Cropped
McCown with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014

Time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On March 12, 2014, McCown signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was immediately named the starter. In Week 3, he suffered a thumb injury. He returned later in the season. He threw for 2,206 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. He also rushed for 127 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Buccaneers finished with a 2–14 record. McCown was a team captain. He was released after one season.

Playing for the Cleveland Browns

2015 Season Highlights

Josh McCown Browns 2015
McCown with the Browns in 2015

On February 27, 2015, McCown signed with the Cleveland Browns. He was named the starting quarterback. In Week 5, he led the Browns to an overtime win against the Baltimore Ravens. He set a new career high with 457 passing yards. This was also a Browns record for a regular season game. He was named the American Football Conference (AFC) Offensive Player of the Week. He became the first player in NFL history to have over 450 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, a rushing touchdown, and no interceptions in one game. His jerseys from this game were displayed at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

McCown played in 8 games in 2015. He threw for 2,109 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. He also rushed for 98 yards and 1 touchdown. He had a passer rating of 93.3. He was the Browns nominee for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.

2016 Season Overview

Cleveland Browns vs. Oakland Raiders (21801672315)
McCown attempting a pass in 2015

In 2016, Robert Griffin III became the Browns' starter. McCown started in Week 2 after Griffin got injured. McCown fractured his left collarbone but played through the game. He returned later in the season. He played in 5 games, starting 3. He threw for 1,100 yards and 6 touchdowns. On February 7, 2017, McCown was released by the Browns.

Time with the New York Jets

2017 Season Success

On March 20, 2017, McCown signed with the New York Jets. He was named the starting quarterback. He won three straight starts, a first in his NFL career. In Week 7, he threw for 209 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He also scored a rushing touchdown. He became the first Jets quarterback since 1960 to have three passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown in a game.

In Week 10, he became the oldest quarterback in NFL history to set a career-high for touchdown passes in a season. In Week 13, he threw for 331 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 2 touchdowns. He joined Doug Flutie and Jim Thorpe as the only players in NFL history to rush for at least two touchdowns in a game at age 38 or older. McCown was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week. In Week 14, he suffered a broken left hand. This ended his season.

McCown played in 13 games, all starts, in 2017. He set single-season career highs. He had 267 completions, 2,926 passing yards, and 18 passing touchdowns. He also had 5 rushing touchdowns. His completion percentage was 67.3%. He was named the Curtis Martin Jets Team MVP.

2018 Season as Backup

On March 13, 2018, McCown signed to stay with the Jets. Rookie Sam Darnold became the team's starter. McCown was the primary backup. He started 3 games when Darnold was injured. He played in 4 games in 2018. He threw for 539 yards and 1 touchdown.

Philadelphia Eagles and Retirement

On June 17, 2019, McCown announced his retirement from the NFL. He joined ESPN as an NFL analyst. However, on August 17, 2019, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. This was due to injuries to their backup quarterbacks. He helped mentor Carson Wentz and other players. The Eagles won four straight games to make the playoffs.

In the Wild Card Round of the 2019–20 NFL playoffs, McCown entered the game. This was after Wentz got injured. McCown became the oldest quarterback to make his postseason debut at age 40. He completed 18 of 24 passes for 174 yards. He also rushed 6 times for 23 yards. He played even after tearing his hamstring in the second quarter.

After the playoffs, the Eagles offered McCown a coaching role. But he wanted to keep playing. On September 6, 2020, the Eagles signed McCown to their practice squad. He became the oldest practice squad player in NFL history.

Houston Texans and Final Season

On November 7, 2020, McCown was signed by the Houston Texans. He was the third-string quarterback. He was released on March 1, 2021.

McCown played in 102 regular season games in his NFL career. He started 76 of them. He completed 60.2% of his passes for 17,731 yards. He had 98 touchdowns and 82 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,106 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Professional Statistics Overview

Legend
Bold Career high

NFL Regular Season Stats

Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacks Fumbles
GP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg TD Sck SckY Fum Lost
2002 ARI 2 0 – 7 18 38.9 66 3.7 0 2 10.2 1 20 20.0 0 5 50 1 0
2003 ARI 8 3 1–2 95 166 57.2 1,018 6.1 5 6 70.3 28 158 5.6 1 25 174 10 2
2004 ARI 14 13 6–7 233 408 57.1 2,511 6.2 11 10 74.1 36 112 3.1 2 31 263 12 5
2005 ARI 9 6 3–3 163 270 60.4 1,836 6.8 9 11 74.9 29 139 4.8 0 18 101 5 3
2006 DET 2 0 – 0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0
2007 OAK 9 9 2–7 111 190 58.4 1,151 6.1 10 11 69.4 29 143 4.9 0 14 92 11 3
2008 CAR 2 0 – 0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 4 −3 −0.8 0 0 0 0 0
2009 CAR 1 0 – 1 6 16.7 2 0.3 0 0 39.6 0 0 0.0 0 1 6 0 0
2011 CHI 3 2 1–1 35 55 63.6 414 7.5 2 4 68.3 12 68 5.7 0 7 43 2 0
2012 CHI 0 0 – DNP
2013 CHI 8 5 3–2 149 224 66.5 1,829 8.2 13 1 109.0 13 69 5.3 1 11 37 3 1
2014 TB 11 11 1–10 184 327 56.3 2,206 6.7 11 14 70.5 25 127 5.1 3 36 235 10 4
2015 CLE 8 8 1–7 186 292 63.7 2,109 7.2 12 4 93.3 20 98 4.9 1 23 137 9 6
2016 CLE 5 3 0–3 90 165 54.5 1,100 6.7 6 6 72.3 7 21 3.0 0 18 126 7 4
2017 NYJ 13 13 5–8 267 397 67.3 2,926 7.4 18 9 94.5 37 124 3.4 5 39 264 11 4
2018 NYJ 4 3 0–3 60 110 54.5 539 4.9 1 4 55.8 5 32 6.4 0 7 35 0 0
2019 PHI 3 0 – 3 5 60.0 24 4.8 0 0 72.1 2 −2 −1 0 0 0 0 0
2020 HOU 0 0 – DNP
Career 102 76 23–53 1,584 2,633 60.2 17,731 6.7 98 82 79.7 248 1,106 4.5 13 235 1,563 81 32

NFL Playoff Stats

Year Team Games Passing Rushing
GP GS Record Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg TD
2019 PHI 1 0 – 18 24 75.0 174 7.2 0 0 94.8 5 23 4.6 0
Career 1 0 0–0 18 24 75.0 174 7.2 0 0 94.8 5 23 4.6 0

UFL Career Stats

Year Team GP Passing Rushing
Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg TD
2010 HAR 8 114 202 56.4 1,463 7.2 10 8 79.3 10 35 3.5 0
Career 8 114 202 56.4 1,463 7.2 10 8 79.3 10 35 3.5 0

Coaching Career

Early Coaching Experience

McCown spent time as a volunteer quarterbacks coach. He helped the Marvin Ridge High School Mavericks in North Carolina. The head coach said McCown just walked in one day and offered to help. He would help during the offseason. He even played as the scout team quarterback. One player said no one had a better scout-team quarterback. McCown also cooked pancakes for school breakfasts. He taught physical education classes.

McCown also coached at Myers Park High School in North Carolina. His sons, Owen and Aiden, played there. When he returned to the NFL in 2019, the Eagles let him fly to Charlotte. He would go for high school practice and game planning. In 2020, McCown moved to Rusk, Texas. He became an assistant coach at Rusk High School. He interviewed for the Texans' head coach position in 2021 and 2022.

Coaching with the Carolina Panthers

On February 10, 2023, McCown was hired by the Carolina Panthers. He became their quarterbacks coach. He worked under head coach Frank Reich. On November 27, 2023, McCown was fired by the Panthers. This happened after the team started the season with a 1–10 record.

Coaching with the Minnesota Vikings

On February 27, 2024, McCown was hired by the Minnesota Vikings. He became their quarterbacks coach. He works under head coach Kevin O'Connell.

Personal Life and Family

In 2017, McCown, his wife Natalie, and their four children moved to Waxahachie, Texas. He later moved to Charlotte in 2018. In 2020, he moved to Rusk, Texas. McCown is a Christian. He grew up a fan of the Dallas Cowboys. He wore jersey number 12 because of Roger Staubach. He also liked Cowboys players Michael Irvin, Emmitt Smith, and Troy Aikman. Other favorite quarterbacks included Joe Montana, John Elway, and Randall Cunningham.

McCown is the older brother of former NFL quarterback Luke McCown. He is also the younger brother of former Texas A&M quarterback Randy McCown. In 2003, the McCown brothers hosted their first football camp. It was called the McCown Passing Camp. It was held in their hometown of Jacksonville, Texas. Josh is also the father of UTSA Roadrunners quarterback Owen McCown.

McCown is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He has worked with Pro Athletes Outreach and Coaches Time Out. These are both ministries. He has also spoken to church youth and men's groups.

Images for kids

See also

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