Colt McCoy is staying in the NFC East, as the former Washington Redskins quarterback has agreed to a one-year deal with the New York Giants. McCoy will backup and mentor quarterback Daniel Jones, who was selected sixth overall by the Giants in 2019.
The Giants will be McCoy’s fourth team during his NFL career. However, he spent the past six seasons with the Redskins.
McCoy came to the Redskins in 2014 along with then first year head coach Jay Gruden. The two were seemingly joined at the hip even when McCoy took a back seat to the Robert Griffin III saga and Kirk Cousins in later years.
McCoy seemed poised for his opportunity as a starter following Alex Smith’s devastating leg injury in 2018. However, McCoy suffered a broken leg of his own in his second start. He rushed back as the Redskins’ playoff hopes hung in the balance. That ultimately led to additional surgeries on the injured leg and hampered him from fairly competing for the starting QB position against Case Keenum and Dwayne Haskins in 2019.
McCoy started one game last season which turned into his final chance in Washington — a Week 5 loss to New England that proved to be Gruden’s last game as Redskins head coach. McCoy was benched and never played another down for Washington.
McCoy understood his time in DC was over with Gruden. Following the season finale at Dallas, McCoy said his goodbyes and did not fly back with the team to Washington.
In New York, McCoy, recovered from his 2018 leg injury, will be an additional mentoring voice to Jones in the QB meeting room and on the sidelines. Jones was selected nine spots ahead of Haskins in the 2019 draft.
Jones unseated Eli Manning early into the season, getting his opportunity as the head man in New York. Unlike Washington’s case last year, Jones won’t be competing with McCoy for reps. The dynamics being different sets an entirely contrasting tone.
Thus, Jones is set to benefit from a veteran who is has help pushed NFL starters before such as Cousins and Smith.
