McCown Will Get His Shot

McCown Will Get His Shot
February 10
Tampa Tribune

"No one at One Buc Place is ready to crown Luke McCown the Bucs' next starting quarterback. McCown finally has a legitimate chance to earn that title, though, and that's all he's ever really wanted.

Forgoing his plan to test free agency, McCown on Monday signed a two-year contract to return to the Bucs after the team's new hierarchy assured him of a chance to do something other than walk the sidelines every Sunday.

"I was looking for somebody - be it General Manager Mark Dominik or Coach Raheem Morris - to show that confidence in me, to say they were willing to give me a chance to show the potential I have to be a starter," McCown said. "And not just as a guy who holds down the position for a little while but for several years. Once I got that, coming back to Tampa became a no-brainer for me."

Leaving Tampa was the no-brainer McCown was dealing with only a few weeks ago. Fed up with the lack of opportunity he received from former coach Jon Gruden, McCown said he was determined to find a better situation elsewhere.

His thought process changed as soon as Gruden and former general manager Bruce Allen were fired, however, and the deal that was finalized over the weekend came together quickly after that.

The package includes $2.5 million in guaranteed payouts and a base salary of $2.5 million for each of the two years. Incentives could drive the overall payout to more than $14 million.

McCown, however, was more concerned about the opportunity than the money, and for good reason. Since coming to the Bucs in a trade with the Browns in 2005, he has played in just seven games and made just three starts. The three starts came in 2007. McCown won the first but lost the last two and played poorly in another game and he seemed to spend all of 2008 paying the price for it.

Though McCown was initially listed as second on the depth chart, Gruden went with Brian Griese as his starter twice, including once after McCown spent the week taking the majority of the starter's snaps."
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