Josh McCown didn't have to think too long or too hard about coming out of retirement to join the Eagles.
After Philly saw quarterbacks Nate Sudfeld (fractured wrist) and Cody Kessler (concussion) go down over the course of the preseason, the team put the call out and signed McCown to a one-year deal that could earn him up to $5.4 million.
The opportunity to join a contending team with a strong quarterback in Carson Wentz at the helm and a solid coaching staff in place was simply too much for McCown to pass up. As he described, the main thing that drove the 40-year-old to give it another go in the NFL and be Wentz's backup is his comfort with head coach Doug Pederson.
"More than anything, it was the comfort level I had talking with Doug, where they're trying to take this thing and where they're trying to get back to and understanding the expectations that they have here," he said, via the team website. "I've been in a lot of situations throughout my career – where I was helping a young guy or serving as a stopgap kind of guy or being part of a rebuilding situation -- so to come to a situation where it was more established, where they've got the quarterback (Carson Wentz) and a veteran defense and a lot of good players on the offense, that to me was enticing. To see how it's done at a high level and done right, that was the dialogue with Howie and Doug.
"It was an easy sell, to be quite honest."
McCown originally announced his retirement earlier this offseason and was set to join ESPN an an NFL analyst, a role he'll reportedly pick up once the season comes to a close with Philadelphia. The veteran is one of the longest tenured players in the entire league as he's set to enter his 17th season in 2019. He's played for 10 different teams over his career with the New York Jets being the most recent club he's suited up for. He's primarily been a backup or stopgap signal caller throughout his tenure.
While often not talked about, QB2 is one of the more important positions on a given roster and with the Eagles, who have a QB1 in Wentz that hasn't been able to finish the last two seasons healthy, it's even more vital.
