New York Jets, Josh McCown
(Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

Could New York Jets quarterback Josh McCown take a page out of MLB great Ichiro Suzuki’s playbook in the 2018 season?

The New York Jets decided to change things up offensively this offseason.

Offensive coordinator John Morton was thrown to the curb after a one-and-done 2017. While he didn’t do a lot of things well, one of his few successes was helping Josh McCown have a career year for the green and white.

While much of that credit can go to then-quarterback coach Jeremy Bates, who is now the Jets’ offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates, Morton played a part.

But McCown will be 39 by the start of the 2018 season and despite his success last season, he’s never been known for his ability to stay healthy. Yet he’s projected to be the starting quarterback when the Jets travel to Ford Field to take on the Detroit Lions in Week 1.

So why not hang up the cleats and do something that’s less physically taxing, like coaching, for instance?

I mean there’s an open coaching position that seemingly fits the bill. The Jets opted not to fill the empty void at quarterback coach when Bates was promoted. Interesting.

It’s not ideal for one man to do two very different jobs. Bates is going to have a lot on his plate, so perhaps McCown should take a page out of the Ichiro Suzuki playbook?

In case you missed it, Suzuki, after 27 seasons playing professional baseball, is transitioning to the Seattle Mariners front office for the rest of the 2018 season. The team wants to maximize on his strongest qualities which are leadership, mentoring, and an innate ability to analyze the game.

McCown can do the same thing for the Jets.

The Jets currently have four quarterbacks on the roster in Sam Darnold, Teddy Bridgewater, Christian Hackenberg, and the aforementioned McCown.

McCown is the perfect mentor for the future of the Jets, Sam Darnold. He’s selfless, has been in every situation imaginable as a journeyman quarterback, and has the mental wherewithal to coach the game.

The only problem is that McCown may want to finish off his contract, which runs through the 2018 season, and perhaps transition into a new role in 2019.

When you look at the Jets quarterback situation, it’s clear that they need a legitimate backup, McCown can be that guy certainly, but he’d be better suited as a quarterback coach long term.

The rest of the group doesn’t have much promise in that department. Bridgewater is only signed for one year, Hackenberg has potential as a long-term backup (but he’s never been able to capitalize on it), and McCown is going to be 39 years old. So the Jets have to prepare for the present and the future and they can do that with McCown.

People call me Boy Green for my unwavering dedication to all things New York Jets. I work at The Score 1260 in Syracuse and I'm extremely passionate about sports. I aspire to continue my rise through the business and hopefully I'll end up working for the New York Jets in some capacity.