Two ways Josh McCown loses job to Mike Glennon

By Henry McKenna | Jun 17, 2014

Jun 10, 2014; Tampa Bay, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh McCown (12) and quarterback Mike Glennon (8) during mini camp at One Buccaneer Place. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Lovie Smith loves Josh McCown. But as a whole, the Buccaneers franchise is invested in Mike Glennon. For now, those two ideas do not conflict. But how long can Smith stick with McCown before Buccaneers fans start chanting for Glennon? After all, he had a very solid rookie campaign, throwing 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

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I’d give it a game… if that.

There are two possible scenarios where McCown loses his spot as starter.

1) He plays poorly:

If McCown begins to sink as a starter, he’ll be out in a hurry. Still, McCown is a solid quarterback, so it’s hard to anticipate a lack of success. He could actually be really good. He threw 13 touchdowns to only one interception. Lovie Smith will likely stick to his guns as long as he can, too. Lovie Smith has said that Glennon is the quarterback of the future, but hasn’t backed up his words at all — he was even rumored to have shopped the young quarterback.

2) The Bucs, as a whole, play poorly:

If McCown does have a solid start to his season, once the team starts losing games, he’s out. McCown could do everything he can not to let the ship sink, but once the season is lost, management will want to see what Glennon’s got.

McCown is 35-years-old and has made his career as a backup. He’s the definition of a stop-gap quarterback. The Bucs need to know whether their next quarterback — the one McCown is “stop-gapping” for — is on the roster. If he’s not, they will look to the 2015 draft for the next quarterback of the future.