Two years ago, quarterback Donovan McNabb was one of the top QBs in the NFL, but he’s fallen from the mountain after two miserable seasons. Now the unsigned free agent is criticizing one of his former coaches and creating a difficult atmosphere for a top draft choice. McNabb’s outburst is fueled by an old grudge and his attempt to maintain relevancy in a league that is quickly forgetting him.
After 10 years with the Philadelphia Eagles, McNabb found himself in a Washington Redskins uniform for coach Mike Shanahan and Shanahan’s son, Kyle, who is the offensive coordinator in Washington. While the matchup looked good on paper, it was a failure in reality. Before the season ended, Shanahan benched McNabb. The next season McNabb went to Minnesota, but only lasted a few games before he was released.
The six-time Pro-Bowler is now without a team and it’s questionable if any team will be interested in the aging quarterback anytime soon. Everyone knows McNabb didn’t enjoy his time in Washington, but it appears he’s not letting it go.
Now it appears the Redskins are gearing up to take Robert Griffin III in the first round of the NFL draft, but McNabb said he doesn’t like the fit. Recently on ESPN’s “First Take” McNabb said he thought RG3 and Shanahan would be a bad matchup because Shanahan didn’t tailor the offense to suit him and fears he won’t do the same for Griffin.
This isn’t about Griffin, rather about McNabb holding a grudge. McNabb is still angry about the way his time with the Redskins went and is using the opportunity to criticize his old coach. As David Woods from Manolith, a men’s lifestyle blog, said, McNabb’s failure in Washington was about him, not the coaching.
“He conveniently left out the part of the story where he was benched for not knowing the plays and/or being out of shape. He also didn’t mention the fact that he was released by Washington prior to the 2011 season and then totally sucked for the Vikings, under completely different coaches.”
McNabb’s comments were out of line. Not only does he make himself look like a bitter old man, he’s dirtying the waters for Griffin. The Heisman Trophy winner has continually shocked the sports world with his athleticism and ability to make plays. The Redskin fan base is excited at the prospect of getting him, as it should be.
McNabb’s comments create an atmosphere of conflict, weeks before Griffin is even drafted. Now if Griffin does go to Washington, people will scrutinize Shanahan and Griffin’s relationship even more.
If Griffin goes to Washington, next season will be vital to him and Shanahan. After two seasons in Washington, Shanahan hasn’t been impressive, but now he has a chance to revamp the team with an exciting new quarterback.
John Atchison from Yahoo sports pointed out that McNabb’s negativity has nothing to do with Griffin, even though he’ll feel the effects of it.
“Was he there to give his objective opinion on an emerging young talent? Heck no, he was there to grind an axe, which he even admitted to when questioned. No, the real reason McNabb came on the show was to try to make himself relevant.”
It’s sad to see a once-great athlete resorting to cheap insults at a young player’s expense. McNabb needs to let this go because he’s just making himself look bitter, which isn’t attractive to teams that may sign him. If McNabb wants to find any sort of success in the future, he needs to put the past behind him and focus on what made him successful in the first place: hard work and dedication.
Kevin Bingaman can be reached at [email protected]