ESPN Analyst Josh McCown Will Return To The NFL As Philadelphia Eagles Backup

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ESPN’s loss is the Philadelphia Eagles gain, as veteran quarterback Josh McCown has opted to leave his position as an analyst with the sports network to return to football.

McCown retired in the off-season after serving as a mentor last year to New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold. He will fill the Eagles need for a reliable backup to starter Carson Wentz.

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Naturally, the signing was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who noted that the contract was worth $2 million, fully guaranteed, but can be worth up to $5.4 million with incentives. It’s worth noting that the Eagles have had to deploy their backup quarterback twice in the last two years, both times with spectacular results. But Nick Foles’s success led to a massive free agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Expected Eagles backup Nate Sudfeld broke his wrist in a preseason game, and third stringer Cody Kessler has a concussion and is unable to play, leaving a large gap on the Philadelphia roster that was filled by unheralded rookie Clayton Thorson.

The 40-year-old McCown had had a long career, but has never made the playoffs. He plans to return to ESPN once his season has concluded.

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