Josh McCown, whose long, winding road through the NFL ended with two seasons as a Jet _ including a surprise, late-career breakout of sorts in 2017 _ announced his retirement as a player on Monday.
McCown, who turns 40 on July 4, was among the most well-connected, widely respected players in the league, one reason that last year the Jets signed him to serve in effect as an unofficial assistant coach and mentor for rookie Sam Darnold.
The decision did not come as a surprise, but it came in the form of a heartfelt essay for "The Players' Tribune," in which McCown recalled his small-town East Texas roots and a career that began with visions of being an Arizona Cardinal for life and evolved far differently.
