Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer 6y

Josh McCown confides to teammate, 'That might be my last pass'

Is Josh McCown planning to retire after the season?

The 38-year-old quarterback, sidelined for the final three games with a fractured left hand, made a cryptic remark about his future to teammate Matt Forte after the New York Jets’ loss in Denver.

Forte shared the moment on Tuesday during an appearance on the NFL Network's "Good Morning Football."

"In the locker room, I had talked to Josh when I first came in the locker room," Forte said. "I was like, 'How bad is it?' and he told me obviously his hand was broken.

"He didn't even know that when he threw the ball, he threw it to me and I caught it. He told me like, 'That might be my last pass.' I was like, 'Of the season or ...?' Because you never know. I mean, this is Josh's 15th year in the league."

Forte didn't provide McCown's response to the question, if there was a response, but McCown likely was referring to his career, not just the season. His age, coupled with his looming free-agent status, creates an uncertain future. Publicly, he hasn't declared his intentions.

If that was his last pass, it'll go down as a 14-yard completion to Forte -- the Jets' longest play of the day, as it turned out.

In the same interview, Forte praised McCown for his positive impact on the locker room.

"He's been the main factor in changing the culture in the Jets' organization, especially in the locker room," he said.

Forte and McCown are close because they were teammates with the Chicago Bears from 2011 to 2013. Asked if he'd like to see McCown back in 2018, Forte said, "I would, I would love to see that. Josh is an amazing player, an even better father, husband, brother and teammate. He's one of my all-time favorite guys."

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