Josh McCown Hopes Mike Glennon Will Be a “Hall of Famer”

Oct 13, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback

(8) throws a pass against the Philadelphia Eagles defense during the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium. The Eagles won 31-20. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Josh McCown may be the starter for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers right now, but he knows himself that Mike Glennon is desperate for his job and he’s ok with that.

Head coach Lovie Smith has already gone on the record saying he thinks Glennon is “our quarterback of the future,” and McCown believes that when Glennon finally gets his chance to start again, his career will take off.

“My hope is that one day Mike Glennon is a Hall of Famer,’’ McCown said according to ESPN. “I’d take great pride in saying you had a small part in that. He has everything out in front of him.’’

That is one heck of an endorsement from McCown. Is it a premature comment? Absolutely. But it’s bold and ambitious and shows us that McCown really believes in Glennon’s abilities.

However, it does make you wonder a touch more as to why Glennon will sit on the bench behind a journeyman quarterback when the season starts (unless something drastically changes between now and then). Obviously, Smith believes that McCown gives the Bucs their best chance to win right now, but with his recent admiration of Glennon, he too seems to believe that Glennon can be the guy moving forward.

McCown knows he isn’t the future for the Bucs, but he is the present and he seems willing to help Glennon reach the heights he thinks he is capable of so that can he can fully succeed when he is finally handed the reigns.

McCown had more to say about Glennon, including the following:

“Whenever that time is, that time is. He pushes me and I’m just trying to bring him along and make him better. I think that’s good for the Bucs, that’s good for our team. Whenever you have two guys working together and pushing each other and both parties just wanting the best for the team, I think that’s when you can catch something special. That’s the hope for Mike and I. I think he’s got a real, real bright future. I think he’s super talented. He’s a hard worker. He’s really sharp and he’s going to have a great career.’’

“I just like his skill set. He throws the ball well. His arm strength is obviously well above average. He can really spin it. He’s a hard worker. He loves football and you have to have that at that position and he’s intelligent. It’s just a matter of time for him.’’

“He was able to find some successful moments in a tough situation last year. Those things, you can’t coach. You kind of guide yourself through that and deal with a tough situation. I think all that combined bodes very well for Mike and the career he’s going to have.’’