Detroit finally frees QB Joey Harrington from the Lions' den

Joey Harrington's four-year run as the Detroit Lions' starting quarterback -- and their leading punching bag -- appears close to finally ending.

The Lions on Thursday agreed on a two-year contract with Josh McCown, an unrestricted free agent who had spent all four years of his career with the Arizona Cardinals.

With the Lions having signed Jon Kitna, a former Cincinnati Bengals backup, to a four-year deal this week, they now have two new quarterbacks to compete for the starting job next season. And that leaves Harrington, who was the third pick in the 2002 draft, moving toward the exit, with the Lions expected to try to trade him or release him.

In January Harrington sounded unenthusiastic about returning to Detroit, questioning whether he could succeed, even with the support of a new coach, in an atmosphere that last season turned poisonous.

Harrington started 11 games in 2005, was benched in favor of his backup, Jeff Garcia, then was blamed by a teammate when coach Steve Mariucci was fired.

Harrington ended up 18-37 in his four seasons in Detroit, but he is hardly alone in deserving blame for the Lions' misfortunes. The team's president, Matt Millen, took over in January 2001 and is already on his third head coach; Rod Marinelli, a Tampa Bay assistant, was hired in January. And in the three previous drafts, Millen selected a wide receiver in the first round, ostensibly to shore up the offense around Harrington, who is being pushed out before he gets near a US$4 million bonus due in June.

Harrington's backup last season, Garcia, signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday.

Garcia and Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb should have plenty to talk about in quarterback meetings.

Garcia's was a three-time Pro Bowl selection for San Francisco.

"I don't have a problem with the guy," Garcia said of Owens at a news conference in Philadelphia. "The guy is a tremendous player on the field. Everyone has seen that, and I have been a part of that. It takes a team to succeed on the field, so no way do I ever point at one person as being the reason why we were winning or losing football games. But he certainly is a difference-maker. If I were able to have the opportunity to be a teammate of his again, I would not back down from it."