So Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan was right about Donovan McNabb. After being benched then released by the Minnesota Vikings, McNabb may be done as a starting NFL quarterback. So how could Shanahan have been so wrong about McNabb?
McNabb is perhaps looking at the end of his career, and the Vikings’ move would seem to validate Shanahan’s decision to bench McNabb near the end of last season and then trade him to Minnesota this past summer.
But it also reminds everyone of Shanahan’s decision to trade two draft picks to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2010 — his first major decision as the Redskins coach.
It was a trade that has set back the Redskins’ franchise for at least several years, if not longer.
McNabb’s release in Minnesota raises the questions that still haunt Redskins fans who put their faith in Shanahan as the franchise savior.
How could Shanahan — a supposed quarterback guru — been so wrong about McNabb when he brought him to Washington?
Much of this is hindsight, of course. Many were on board with the trade for McNabb, including myself, and praised the deal. But that praise came with the question of why the Eagles would trade McNabb to a division rival who they would have to face twice a season — unless they knew McNabb was finished?
We might have been stupid enough to ignore that question, but we should expect more from Shanahan, who as a result of the McNabb trade was left with the pathetic choice of Rex Grossman and John Beck as his starting quarterback options and still likely has to pick the future Redskins quarterback in next year’s draft.
Perhaps no one outside of Philadelphia could have foreseen such a dramatic fall. McNabb’s 11 seasons in Philadelphia were successful by most standards — perennial playoff appearances (eight) and impressive individual statistics (216 touchdown passes, with 22 of them coming in his final year in Philadelphia when he had with a 92.7 passer rating, the third highest of his career).
Certainly Vikings coach Leslie Frazier, who was with McNabb in Philadelphia in 1999 as the Eagles defensive backs coach, didn’t see it. Even with McNabb’s disappointing season in Washington, Frazier was willing to give up a sixth-round pick to bring McNabb to Minnesota and make him the starter.
At least Frazier had his quarterback-to-be already in place with Ponder. Shanahan’s Plan B after surrendering two draft picks for the McNabb failure was Grossman and Beck.
You have to figure that sooner or later, Shanahan, the quarterback guru, will finally get one right here in Washington. Until then, his failures will be tied to McNabb’s failures, wherever they may be.
Examiner columnist Thom Loverro is the co-host of “The Sports Fix” from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday on ESPN980 and espn980.com. Contact him at [email protected].
