Jets head coach Todd Bowles said the team would be interested in bringing back starting quarterback Josh McCown in 2018 if the two sides can agree to a deal, ESPN’s Rich Cimini writes. 
Bowles said the arrangement would be “contingent on a lot of things,” first and foremost being if McCown is even playing next season. The 38-year-old journeyman quarterback found a home with the Jets in 2017 and impressed, throwing for 2,926 yards and 18 touchdowns with nine interceptions in 13 games.
Though he posted a career year, McCown could opt for retirement to begin a coaching career. He said he would talk with his family at the end of the season before coming to a decision.
The signing of McCown was one of the top free-agent moves of the 2017 season for the Jets, who secured the veteran with a one-year $6MM deal. When he broke his non-throwing hand in Week 14, McCown ranked 11th in passer rating.
“Josh had a great year,” Bowles said. “It would be great to have him back. It’s business in this league. He has decisions to make, we have decisions to make. Hopefully, they can meet and we’ll go from there.”
Though not the future at the position, McCown would present a more than adequate stopgap until the new signal-caller is found. The Jets have the No. 6 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and could target a quarterback in the first round. The team also has young prospects like Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty on the roster.
So they want to punt another season?
So he can stopgap for a year. Petty and Hackenberg are worse than McCown and aren’t veteran signal callers who could teach a young rookie. Even if the Jets do manage to snag one of the top QBs in the draft (and he doesn’t turn out to be a bust), there’s absolutely nothing wrong with letting the rookie learn how to play in the NFL first before pushing him to start way before he’s ready. None of the potential rookie QBs seem ready to start from Day 1 so why draft one and push him to start before they are ready.
You think they would have learned after Ryan Fitzpatrick
Right! Jets have learned nothing since’69.. Keep making same mistakes each year..
Draft a QB, sign McCown, and let the two battle it out in camp. Chances are, the veteran will be better prepared to be a starter than the newly drafted QB, so he’ll play backup and develop for a year.