Remember When QB Josh McCown Played Slot Receiver for the Detroit Lions?

Josh McCown is a respected name amongst passionate NFL fans. His career wasn't storied with milestone touchdowns and game-winning drives, but rather his longevity in the league while playing for an overabundance of franchises.

McCown played quarterback in the NFL for 18 seasons, signing contracts with 14 different teams over that stretch. He played at least a snap for nine of those teams, tied with Ryan Fitzpatrick for the most among any player in NFL history.

Most of those snaps came at quarterback, but not all of them. As is the case with many journeyman backup quarterbacks, McCown was willing to do whatever he could to help his teams win.

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Of course, when McCown played for the Detroit Lions in 2006, there wasn't much winning going on. Jon Kitna quarterbacked those Lions to a 3-13 record, while McCown was his backup. McCown didn't throw a pass during his stint in Detroit, but he did find other ways to get involved.

In a Week 13 loss to the New England Patriots nearly 20 years ago, McCown played some slot receiver. The 6'4", 215-pound quarterback who ran a 4.59 40-yard dash at the 2002 NFL Combine lined up in the slot and gave it his best effort.

McCown was credited with two receptions for 15 yards. They weren't his only receptions, but they were the only ones that went for positive yardage, his other in Arizona going for a loss of five.

McCown never caught another pass in his NFL career, nor did he lineup at slot receiver.

McCown saw more quarterback success later in his career with stops with the Chicago Bears and New York Jets before starting his only playoff game with the Philadelphia Eagles in his final season at 40 years old.

Much like the player who tackled McCown on his first reception, Mike Vrabel, McCown got into coaching after his NFL career wrapped up in 2019. Most recently, McCown was the quarterbacks coach for Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers, but when head coach Frank Reich was fired in late November, McCown was also let go.