NFL Rumors: Tampa Bay Buccaneers likely to pursue Josh McCown
By Josh Hill
The Chicago Bears handed Jay Cutler a massive contract extension on Thursday which ensured he’d be with the team for the foreseeable future. The news squashed whatever competition there was between Cutler and backup Josh McCown but more importantly it squeezed the Bears cap space, meaning Cutler may not have only won the job but forced McCown out of town.
Meanwhile, down in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers handed Jay Cutler’s former head coach Lovie Smith a contract to become the team’s new leader, and this has promoted speculation that McCown could be on Smith’s radar in free agency.
It’s likely that thanks to his impressive backup work with the Bears, McCown will attract a lot of attention from teams needing a solid backup option. But McCown and Smith have positive history that may lead to a reunion with the Buccaneers.
Don't know what Lovie Smith thinks about Mike Glennon but I know he's always been high on Josh McCown, particularly as a mentor.
— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) January 2, 2014
Mike Glennon seems to be the guy the Buccaneers may want to roll with in Smith’s first year, but no matter who is the quarterback of the future, it’s possible that McCown could be brought in to mentor the franchise quarterback. Smith might even be able to talk McCown down on a price, as a reunion could be mutually beneficial to all parties involved.
The Bears will still try to bring McCown back and he might also get offered an obscene amount elsewhere, but Lovie Smith knows what he’s getting in McCown and the history they have suggest he could be wearing a Buccaneers uniform in 2014 of he decides to play.