Vikings hire Josh McCown as quarterbacks coach

Yes, that Josh McCown

The name of Josh McCown is one that generally causes Minnesota Vikings fans to break out in hives, or at the very least flash back to one of the many rough moments in team history. Going forward, the hope is that McCown and the Vikings can be connected in a more positive manner.

The team has announced that McCown has been hired as the team’s quarterbacks coach. The team has also announced that Chris O’Hara has been named the team’s pass game specialist.

McCown played in the NFL for 18 seasons, suiting up for 12 different teams. He started his career with the Arizona Cardinals in 2002, and in 2003 was the quarterback that, infamously, knocked the Vikings out of the playoffs in the final second of the regular season, as he threw a touchdown pass with no time left on the clock to give the Cardinals an 18-17 victory that sent Minnesota home for the winter.

He played for the Cardinals until 2006, and after that he went on to play for. . .deep breath. . .

• Detroit Lions
• Oakland Raiders
• Miami Dolphins
• Carolina Panthers
• Hartford Colonials (UFL)
• San Francisco 49ers
• Chicago Bears
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Cleveland Browns
• New York Jets
• Philadelphia Eagles
• Houston Texans

McCown actually interviewed for the Texans’ head coach position twice, including once in 2021 when he was still a player on the team’s roster. His only coaching job to this point came this past season, when he was the quarterback coach of the Carolina Panthers.

As a member of the Browns, McCown was coached by current Vikings’ head coach Kevin O’Connell in 2015. O’Connell was the Browns’ quarterbacks coach, his first coaching position following his retirement as a player.

I’m not sure what the hiring of McCown means for the Vikings’ quarterback situation. . .maybe it means something, maybe it means nothing, though it has been pointed out on social media that McCown and Cousins share an agent. But the team now has a new quarterback coach.

Welcome to Minnesota, Josh McCown!