Donovan McNabb News

Birds QB rumors
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February 8
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"If there is one day in the NFL year when we ought to be free of worrying about Donovan McNabb and the Eagles, it should be Super Bowl Sunday. Alas, such is not the case. We've had reports from ESPN folk who apparently have too much time on their hands, with their network not doing the game. Adam Schefter says multiple teams have asked the Birds about all three of their quarterbacks and three teams have called about Michael Vick. Sal Paolantonio added that three teams - Cleveland, Denver and Buffalo - have had multiple conversations with the Eagles about Donovan McNabb. Don't know the exact teams myself, but I understand there have been a lot of calls, many of them not about any QB in ..."
Bernard Hopkins rips McNabb again
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February 6
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Bernard Hopkins took a loud lap around Radio Row Friday at the media headquarters for Super Bowl XLIV. At first, the 45-year-old prize fighter from Philadelphia promoted his long-awaited rematch with 41-year-old Roy Jones Jr. set for April 3 in Las Vegas. Eventually, at Hopkins' urging, the subject turned to Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, who was not far away on South Beach being interviewed by the NFL Network about Sunday's title game between the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts. As always in recent years, Hopkins ripped the Eagles' quarterback. "The people now say, 'Take him to Arizona, he has a house there,' " Hopkins said. "But my thing is I've been telling you this since ..."
McNabb: Vick deserves shot elsewhere
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February 5
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb said during a South Beach appearance on ESPN's SportsCenter last night that he hopes teammate Michael Vick gets a chance to play elsewhere next season. "I don't know what particular team," McNabb said. "I just hope he has an opportunity to be a starter for another team. I think he definitely deserves that, and he has done a great job of getting himself together and preparing himself for this opportunity. And I think he is going to flourish in it." The Eagles have a $1.25 million option on Vick's 2010 contract. If they do not exercise that option by March 5, Vick will be an unrestricted free agent. The Eagles would no doubt love to trade the 29-year-old ..."
McNabb believes Vick could help other teams
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February 5
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"Donovan McNabb, who championed bringing Michael Vick to the Eagles last summer, last night threw his weight behind Vick's stated desire to find a place where he can start next season. "Michael Vick's done a great job," McNabb said in response to a question from ESPN's Steve Levy, in one take of several made during a taping of Super Bowl XLIV preview material on the ESPN set at Miami Beach. "He's a great guy, he's worked extremely hard to prepare himself. I think this is a perfect opportunity for a ballclub to give him an opportunity to start for them, be their quarterback, and he's going to make a lot of plays for them." McNabb reiterated that he expects to remain with the Eagles this ..."
Please don't use this criteria in trade McNabb campaign
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February 5
Philadelphia Daily News
 columnist Sam Donnellon
"HAVE SOME fun. That's all John Brenkus wants you to do with the quarterback analysis he presents as part of his latest "Sport Science" segment on ESPN tonight. Have some fun with it, use it as pregame trivia and in-game filler. Test your friends. Test your memory with it. But please . . . don't use it as further evidence that Donovan McNabb could never win a Super Bowl. Even if that's what his offbeat science suggests. "I'm not saying trade McNabb," said the host of the three-time Emmy-award-winning show. "Look, John Elway won the Super Bowl and he was 38. He was the oldest ever. "But he was the exception to the rule." Well, one of the rules anyway. Elway's jaw, height, weight and home ..."
Eagles wideout Jackson says he supports McNabb
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February 4
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"Pretty soon now, DeSean Jackson will have spent enough time in Florida to be eligible to vote in the next election. But the Eagles' young gun is enjoying himself even more this week than last, with no Pro Bowl to prepare for, and all the Super Bowl hoopla in full swing. Yesterday morning, Jackson did a quick hit with ESPN2's "First Take," then got out his Florida road map, charting a course to his first jet ski experience. "I'm not going to do anything crazy," he assured a reporter, after making a similar vow on the air. The evening passed without news of any personal watercraft incidents involving Pro Bowl wideout/punt returners, so we have to assume Jackson was true to his word. Before ..."
Thank Joe Banner for clouding message
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February 2
Philadelphia Inquirer
 columnist John Gonzalez
"It seemed pretty clear. And now? Well, now it doesn't. The Eagles can thank Joe Banner for that. After the Birds' season ended, Andy Reid held a news conference and was immediately asked what would happen with Donovan McNabb moving forward, whether he would be Reid's quarterback next season or if Reid was thinking about making the switch to the Hog Hunter (more traditionally referred to by his Christian name, Kevin Kolb). Reid normally dodges direct answers the way Asante Samuel avoids physical contact and tackling, but for once he was candid. "I was asked if Donovan would be my quarterback next year, and I said yes," Reid replied. "That's what I'm saying now." And that was that . . . ..."
Kolb awaits Eagles' decision on QB situation
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February 1
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"Kevin Kolb says he is ready to be a starter in the NFL. He thinks the Eagles know he is ready, too. But that won't stop Kolb from being a "team player" as the Eagles figure out their quarterback situation. "I want to be a starter in the NFL. That's my No. 1 goal right now," Kolb, a Texas native, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in a story published yesterday. "I want that opportunity. But I'm going to be a team player. I trust Andy [Reid, the Eagles' coach]. I trust his decisions and his ability to see what's in the future and plan out my career the right way. Hopefully, we'll do those things to get me on the field at some point, not knowing when it's going to be." Reid has said Donovan ..."
McNabb rumors: What's logical?
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January 31
Camden Courier-Post
 
"Somebody at the NovaCare Complex isn't telling the truth. At least that's the perception among NFL writers and fans of the Eagles' public commitment to Donovan McNabb as their starting quarterback in 2010. Head coach Andy Reid has said McNabb will return for a 12th season, team president Joe Banner suggested McNabb would even play without a contract extension, and McNabb told reporters last week that his psychic sees him playing another season in Philadelphia. Somehow, none of it is convincing. Rumors linking McNabb to trades with more than a half-dozen teams since the end of the regular season -- some more realistic than others -- are rampant. Simply put, the Eagles have a quarterback ..."
An odd situation at QB
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January 31
Philadelphia Inquirer
 columnist Phil Sheridan
"Of the two news conferences held Friday afternoon, it's impossible to know which will have the biggest impact on the future of the Philadelphia Eagles. Certainly the promotion of Howie Roseman to general manager will have consequences. Roseman will have his hand in personnel decisions big and small for as long as he holds the job. Nevertheless, with Andy Reid's maintaining final say on personnel, Roseman's taking over Tom Heckert's office doesn't necessarily represent a sea change. A few hours later, in Arizona, Kurt Warner held a news conference to announce his retirement from the NFL. Warner, 38, thus started the clock on his five-year wait for induction into the Hall of Fame (and yes, ..."
Where will McNabb be in 2010?
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January 31
Camden Courier-Post
 
"Somebody at the NovaCare Complex isn't telling the truth. At least that's the perception among NFL writers and fans of the Eagles' public commitment to Donovan McNabb as their starting quarterback in 2010. Head coach Andy Reid has said McNabb will return for a 12th season, team president Joe Banner suggested McNabb would even play without a contract extension, and McNabb told reporters last week that his psychic sees him playing another season in Philadelphia. Somehow, none of it is convincing."
Banner: QB options could be status quo or change
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January 30
Camden Courier-Post
 
"After a press conference Friday afternon to introduce new general manager Howie Roseman to the media, Eagles president Joe Banner couldn't escape the wall of reporters that surrounded him in the auditorium to ask about the Eagles' other pressing issue: the quarterback situation. In the wake of Andy Reid's season-ending comments that Donovan McNabb would be his starter in 2010, and recent hints this week by McNabb at Pro Bowl practice that he'd like to "finish the job" in Philadelphia and get a long-term deal, Banner acknowledged that the Eagles would soon have to make difficult decisions regarding McNabb and his backups, Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick. But while Reid clearly backed McNabb ..."
Eagles' QB situation remains murky
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January 30
Camden Courier-Post
 
"Joe Banner did little to clarify the Eagles' cloudy quarterback situation Friday. After a news conference to announce Howie Roseman's promotion to general manager, Banner, the team president, said the Eagles had several decisions to make regarding Donovan McNabb and his backups, Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick. "It's possible that any one or all three of the quarterbacks could still be here with one year left on their deal, or one guy could get an extension," Banner said. "I think the status quo is in the cards as a possible outcome." Status quo, of course, would mean McNabb returning for his 12th season. But without an extension, McNabb would enter his walk year and become a free agent after ..."
Eagles are still sorting out plans
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January 30
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Eagles president Joe Banner said that there wouldn't be anything unusual about Donovan McNabb playing next season with the Eagles on the last year of his contract. "Tom Brady is doing it, Peyton Manning has done it twice," Banner said yesterday at the NovaCare Complex. "Peyton Manning actually played on the last year of his contract and part of the year on a franchise tag." Of course, it would be difficult to equate the Eagles quarterback's present situation to that of Brady and Manning, both of whom are also entering the last year of their contracts. Colts owner Jim Irsay and Patriots owner Robert Kraft have both made public statements supporting their quarterbacks' long-term futures with ..."
Banner: No decisions yet on Eagles' quarterbacks
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January 30
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"Andy Reid has told us twice already that Donovan McNabb will be the Eagles' quarterback next season. Yet most of Philadelphia remains unconvinced. Nothing club president Joe Banner said yesterday is likely to change that. Speaking with reporters following the news conference to announce Howie Roseman's elevation to general manager, Banner said he, Reid and Roseman really haven't had any substantive discussions yet about any of the team's personnel, including its three quarterbacks - McNabb, Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick. "We really haven't had a meeting to figure this stuff out yet," Banner said. "Obviously, we have to make a decision at some point. But at this moment, I can tell you we have ..."
Eagles' Jackson sees "huge decision" at QB
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January 28
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"DeSean Jackson acknowledged yesterday that the Eagles have a difficult decision to make about their quarterback situation for next season. "It's a huge decision, especially when you've had a quarterback that has been in the organization for so long," Jackson said after participating in his first Pro Bowl practice with the NFC squad. He's referring, of course, to 11-year veteran Donovan McNabb. There have been rumblings on WIP radio since the season ended that Jackson and the Eagles' other young receivers have consulted more with reserve Kevin Kolb than McNabb during games. Jackson was asked about that report. "I don't sense no problem," he said after fooling around with McNabb during the ..."
McNabb says he's staying with Eagles
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January 28
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"A source close to Donovan McNabb told the Eagles quarterback he had been traded yesterday. Former Eagles receiver and current ESPN analyst Cris Carter couldn't have been more than 10 feet away from McNabb when he delivered the news. "I heard you just got traded to St. Thomas [Aquinas] for two number ones and future considerations," Carter told McNabb after the NFC finished its first practice for Sunday's Pro Bowl at Sun Life Stadium. St. Thomas Aquinas is the high school where the NFC practiced yesterday, and Carter is an assistant coach there. That he could joke with McNabb about being traded is proof the subject, as usual, has both national and local appeal. McNabb, for his part, ..."
McNabb says psychic told him he's staying with Eagles
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January 28
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"For a quarterback whose future with the Eagles has been the subject of much speculation, Donovan McNabb looked awfully relaxed and carefree with the media at the NFC's first Pro Bowl practice yesterday morning. He reiterated that he is confident he will stay with the Eagles. Later, holding court for another 10 minutes at the hotel, he was pressed on how he could be so sure. "I have a psychic and she told me; she said, 'Good things are to happen in Philadelphia and it's going to be really good for you,' " McNabb said while doing his best Jamaican psychic impersonation. " 'Just relax. You'll get what you need.' " McNabb, entering the final year of his contract, isn't just taking Miss Cleo's ..."
Let the speculation begin: McNabb a possibility in Minnesota?
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January 28
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"First off, let me make it clear that there is a reason covering the Vikings is so much fun. That's because there is an endless supply of speculation to keep a beat writer busy 12 months a year. Want evidence? Well, here it is. Three days after the Vikings' heart-breaking loss to New Orleans in the NFC Championship Game, there already is conjecture about what the franchise might do at quarterback. Yes, Brett Favre is signed for 2010 and all indications are the Vikings want him back, but what fun is actually waiting on a decision from him? Instead, the name being thrown out there as a possibility to replace Favre is longtime Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. The reality is that just when ..."
Vikes to pursue McNabb if Favre walks
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January 27
ESPN.com
 
"I think this is a no-brainer for Brad Childress if Brett Favre retires. And by trading for McNabb, you'd basically be blocking Favre from changing his mind and trying to return to Minneapolis. John Clayton said on ESPNEWS on Tuesday that the Vikings will make a play for McNabb if Favre walks away. He thinks that the Vikes might be willing to trade the No. 62 overall pick for McNabb. Something tells me, though, the Eagles will be asking for a first-rounder. By the way, McNabb's old quarterbacks coach at Syracuse is now in the same position with the Vikings."
Handicapping the McNabb sweepstakes
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January 27
ESPN.com
 
"Eagles fans have been pondering life without Donovan McNabb for years, but now there's a pretty good chance he ends up with another team. McNabb's heading into the final year of his contract, and at age 33, the Eagles could still expect to land a first-day draft pick for their starting quarterback. Let's take a quick look at the leading candidates for McNabb's services: 1. Minnesota Vikings: I think this is a no-brainer for Brad Childress if Brett Favre retires. And by trading for McNabb, you'd basically be blocking Favre from changing his mind and trying to return to Minneapolis. John Clayton said on ESPNEWS on Tuesday that the Vikings will make a play for McNabb if Favre walks away. He ..."
Putting McNabb's age in perspective
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January 27
Philadelphia Daily News
 columnist Bill Conlin
"DONOVAN McNABB will turn 34 on Nov. 25 and the burning question is whether the quarterback will be preparing that Thursday to lead the Eagles' offense, or will he be wearing the colors of another team? If you go by the level of the local sound and fury, he will be a Viking, or a Cardinal, or a 49er, or any number of teams with some nerve and a quarterback vacancy. Fortunately, this isn't "American Idol." Changing quarterbacks on a playoff team with a young nucleus of skill-position players is not an act of improvement, it's an act of rebuilding. Kevin Kolb might possess all the requisite skill sets to lead the Eagles into the Promised Land, but . . . The NFL is not a league where coaches ..."
If Favre retires, Vikings' options could include McNabb, Hasselbeck, Tebow, McCoy
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January 26
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"The Minnesota Vikings will have tickets to sell and a stadium to get, so it would seem to behoove them to get an answer and make a subsequent announcement before long on the uncertain future of quarterback Brett Favre. Favre this season gave the Vikings a needed buzz throughout the NFL. Try doing that with unproven Tarvaris Jackson and/or Sage Rosenfels at QB. The Vikings, suddenly, are at a crossroads. This is a team that was built to win this season. It wouldn't be surprising if Favre finally retires — for good. He came back this season, at age 40, to embarrass the Green Bay Packers twice, and as he mentioned after Sunday's crushing overtime loss in New Orleans, he would go out on top. ..."
McNabb, Mikell invited to Pro Bowl
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January 26
Camden Courier-Post
 
"The number of Eagles named to the Pro Bowl reached nine Monday -- the most they've had since 2004, when they were a Super Bowl team. Quarterback Donovan McNabb and safety Quintin Mikell are the newest additions, replacing quarterback Drew Brees and safety Roman Harper of the Saints. McNabb will make his sixth Pro Bowl appearance. This is Mikell's first trip. The Pro Bowl will be at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at Sun Life Stadium in Miami. McNabb and Mikell join left tackle Jason Peters, cornerback Sheldon Brown, receiver DeSean Jackson, defensive end Trent Cole, long-snapper Jon Dorenbos, kicker David Akers and fullback Leonard Weaver on the NFC squad. The nine representatives are one shy of the ..."
No comparison when rating McNabb, Favre
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January 26
Philadelphia Daily News
 columnist Rich Hofmann
"JUST BECAUSE Brett Favre might have been overrated does not mean that Donovan McNabb has been underrated. This undercurrent has already begun and it needs to be stopped. One guy has nothing to do with the other guy, other than the Andy Reid connection. If anything, Favre's failures do not somehow burnish McNabb's resume by comparison. Instead, they demonstrate the dangers of hanging on too long. Historians will remember Sunday as the greatest moment in the annals of Wisconsiana, other than perhaps the invention of the cheese curd: when Favre rolled right and then threw back across his body in the NFC Championship Game, into coverage, into infamy. When Favre, Hall of Fame gunslinger, again ..."
Eagles Donovan McNabb, Quintin Mikell named to NFC Pro Bowl roster
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January 25
Camden Courier-Post
 
"Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb and safety Quintin Mikell have been added to the NFC Pro Bowl roster. McNabb and Mikell take the place of Saints quarterback Drew Brees and Saints safety Roman Harper. Nine Eagles are now slated to play in the game, which will take place Sunday in Miami. The Eagles Pro-Bowlers include kicker David Akers, defensive end Trent Cole, long snapper Jon Dorenbos, wide receiver/kick returner DeSean Jackson, tackle Jason Peters, cornerback Asante Samuel and fullback Leonard Weaver."
Eagles' Dorenbos added to Pro Bowl roster, McNabb expected to follow
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January 21
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"Long-snapper Jon Dorenbos became the seventh Eagle selected for this season's Pro Bowl yesterday, with at least one more pending - quarterback Donovan McNabb will officially join the NFC roster as the first alternate, after either New Orleans' Drew Brees or Minnesota's Brett Favre advances from the NFC title game to the Super Bowl. Since the Pro Bowl is now being played the week before the Super Bowl, players from the two Super Bowl teams will not participate in the Pro Bowl. "I'd gladly trade places with that guy," McNabb posted yesterday on his blog. Fans might ponder why a team that is going to have at least eight Pro Bowlers (and keep your eye on second alternate Sheldon Brown, at ..."
If Vikings have to retire No. 4, could they land Donovan McNabb?
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January 19
St. Paul Pioneer Press
 
"If the Vikings win the Super Bowl for a first time, and Brett Favre retires after just one season in Minnesota, the quarterback, at age 40, will go down as the most significant player in franchise history. And if that were to occur, the Green Bay Packers had better retire Favre's No. 4 jersey soon or the Vikings could beat them to it. The Vikings, though, need to do whatever it takes to bring Favre back next season, including a $5 million increase on the $13 million contract he already has for 2010, if he wants it. The guy is worth his weight in gold to the franchise. It's unlikely Favre will return if he doesn't think the Vikings can be a legitimate Super Bowl contender again. — ..."
Don't expect Eagles to move past McNabb just yet
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January 19
Philadelphia Inquirer
 columnist Bob Ford
"The quarterback is older now, almost certainly beyond his best years, and, in the biggest game of the season, his explosive offense sputtered and the road to the Super Bowl became a roadblock. Behind him, waiting ever impatiently, is the younger quarterback, the one whose time must arrive, somewhere if not here. You could say it was actually the defense at fault in the final loss. Just too many points to overcome. But great quarterbacks are supposed to lift their teams out of such deep holes and if this one can't get it done any more, then it is time to move on. Yes, if Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals were actually Philadelphia's team, that's probably what you would be hearing and ..."
Victorious Saints, Vikings could make McNabb a Pro Bowler again
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January 18
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"Brett Favre performed a number of amazing feats yesterday, including putting Donovan McNabb in the Pro Bowl. After the Vikings' 34-3 victory over Dallas, Minnesota's Favre and New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees will play next week for the NFC title in New Orleans. You have to think one of them is going to win. That QB will not be playing in the Pro Bowl, to be held the Sunday before the Super Bowl in Miami. McNabb is the NFC's first alternate, so unless he turns down the gig, he will become a six-time Pro Bowler. The only way that wasn't going to happen was if Dallas and Tony Romo had gone to the Super Bowl - Romo was the second alternate. This is a huge irony for McNabb, who played the ..."
Too early for Eagles to tip their hand on McNabb
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January 17
The Times of Trenton
 columnist Mark Eckel
"Andy Reid says Donovan McNabb will be back with the Eagles next season and that he makes the final call. That means McNabb will be back with the Eagles next year. Or not. Really, what was Reid supposed to say when asked about McNabb's future? Anything short of what the Eagles head coach said would not only lead to idle speculation (we'll do that later), but would diminish the quarterback's value. "What do I think they could get for McNabb?'' a personnel man from an NFC team asked. "I'm not sure. You would think at least a solid two (second-round pick), maybe a one if a team is desperate. The problem there is the teams desperate for a quarterback are picking too high to give up a first.'' ..."
Time right for Eagles to deal McNabb
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January 17
Camden Courier-Post
 columnist Geoff Mosher
"Donovan McNabb won't admit it, but he has likely played his last game in an Eagles uniform. It's in the team's best interest to deal him while he still has a few good years left, and even though McNabb won't say it publicly, it's in his best interest, too. The Eagles have three quarterbacks, two of whom very likely won't return. The obvious is Michael Vick, who has a club option of about $5 million next season and seeks a starting job. It's unlikely the Eagles would pass over both McNabb and Kevin Kolb to make Vick the starter and even less likely that they'll pay him $5 million to be a backup. Instead, they'll try to deal him for draft picks. Now is the best time to deal McNabb. There are ..."
Kolb, not McNabb or Vick, should be 2010 starter
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January 17
Camden Courier-Post
 
"Donovan McNabb won't admit it, but he has likely played his last game in an Eagles uniform. It's in the team's best interests to deal him while he still has good years left, and even though McNabb won't say it publicly, it's in his best interests, too. The Eagles have three quarterbacks, two of whom very likely won't return. The obvious is Michael Vick, who has a club option for about $5 million next season and wants to start. It's unlikely the Eagles would pass over both McNabb and Kevin Kolb to make Vick their starter, and it's even less likely they'll pay him $5 million to be a backup. They'll try to deal him for draft picks. Now is the best time to deal McNabb. There are almost a dozen ..."
Eagles can fix their problems by improving the defensive line, not trading QB.
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January 15
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 columnist Michael Lombardi
"QUOTE: "Everything and everybody is sooner or later identified, defined and put in perspective. The truth as always is simultaneously better and worse than what the popular myth-making has it." -- William Saroyan I decided to wait before I wrote about the Eagles because I wanted to let the emotion of their playoff loss to the Cowboys simmer down. As many of you know, I grew up near Philadelphia and consider myself a Philadelphia sports fan, so I understand the emotion and pain, I understand the passion, and I understand that someone has to be blamed for the loss. By waiting to write this column, I was really being self-serving because I didn't want my email inbox to explode with all the ..."
Should Eagles deal McNabb? No time like present
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January 15
Philadelphia Daily News
 columnist Paul Domowitch
"THIS IS A good time to trade Donovan McNabb, for a couple of reasons. One, the Eagles quarterback's trade value never will never be higher than it is right now. He's coming off one of the best statistical seasons of his career. Was seventh in the league in yards per attempt, eighth in interception percentage and 10th in touchdown percentage. His 92.9 passer rating was the third-highest of his career. Threw for 3,500-plus yards for only the third time. Completed 60-plus percent of his passes for only the fourth time. At 33, he's not yet considered a "descending" player. Thanks to the recent success of such geezers as Brett Favre and Kurt Warner, 40 is the new 35, and 33 is the new 28. A ..."
Oh what should the Eagles do about Donovan McNabb?
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January 13
Philadelphia Daily News
 columnist Bill Conlin
"WELCOME TO THE rubble of what Donovan McNabb considers an "outstanding" Eagles season. Hard hats are mandatory. Try to imagine the level of outrage if the phoniest 11-6 record in franchise history had been deemed "lousy" by the veteran quarterback with the upper body of Jeremiah Trotter and the accuracy of a Revolutionary War musket. Three days after the Baltimore Ravens proved you can pass for less than 100 yards and still blow out a team that never had lost a playoff game on its own frozen turf, 3 days after Kurt Warner, Aaron Rodgers and a bunch of trained seals masquerading as pass receivers put on a pitch-catch show for the ages, the thousands of blowout-numbed and morose loyalists ..."
Reid stands by McNabb as next season's QB
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January 12
Camden Courier-Post
 
"Eagles coach Andy Reid, who backed Donovan McNabb as his 2010 starter moments after the team's 34-14 loss Saturday in an NFC wild-card game, did not change his tune Monday. "I was asked if Donovan would be my quarterback next year and I said, 'Yes.' That's what I'm saying now," Reid said in his final news conference of the season. Asked if that decision is only his to make, Reid responded, "That's my call." Reid also said he'd like running back Brian Westbrook to return, even though Westbrook missed eight games and totaled his fewest yards since his 2002 rookie season. But the head coach emphasized that he and his staff still hadn't finished player interviews or season reviews and hadn't ..."
Reid still standing by McNabb
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January 12
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Two days later, the answer was still yes. "I was asked" late Saturday night "if Donovan [McNabb] would be my quarterback next year, and I said yes," Eagles coach Andy Reid said yesterday as he continued to sort through the remnants of his team's lopsided first-round playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys. "That's what I'm saying now." When pressed on the issue, however, Reid admitted that there is a lot to consider between now and the start of training camp, and a lot of time to consider it. "We'll look at all of this," Reid said. "Obviously, I haven't gotten to the points that you're asking here with comparing players, contracts, and everything else. I'm not at that point right now. We like ..."
Reid says McNabb will return as Eagles QB, but leaves wiggle room
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January 12
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"If you squinted a little, and held what Andy Reid said up to the light at just the right angle, there was enough wiggle room to keep Eagles beat reporters on their toes, going into what promises to be a momentous offseason. But the gist really seemed to be that Reid intends to go forward with Donovan McNabb as his quarterback. "I was asked [after the game] if Donovan will be my quarterback next season and I said yes," Reid said at his season wrapup news conference yesterday. "That's what I'm saying now [as well]." Someone asked Reid if it would be his decision - presumably meaning, could team president Joe Banner have a different view, perhaps based on contract situations with McNabb and ..."
Bills should get Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb
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January 11
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
 columnist Bob Matthews
"Leading off with a fresh candidate to be starting quarterback for the 2010 Buffalo Bills - Donovan McNabb. McNabb is feeling the heat again from Philadelphia's fans and media after his poor performance in Saturday's 34-14 loss to the host Dallas Cowboys in the NFC wild-card playoffs. The game wasn't as close as the final score suggests and McNabb's final stats were much better than he played. He was awful when the game was in doubt. McNabb no longer is in his prime, but he's not over the hill. He's no longer All-Pro, but he's no All-Schmo. It might be time for a new starting quarterback for the Eagles. It certainly is time for a new starting quarterback for the Bills. McNabb would not be ..."
Bills should get Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb
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January 11
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
 
"Leading off with a fresh candidate to be starting quarterback for the 2010 Buffalo Bills — Donovan McNabb. McNabb is feeling the heat again from Philadelphia's fans and media after his poor performance in Saturday's 34-14 loss to the host Dallas Cowboys in the NFC wild-card playoffs. The game wasn't as close as the final score suggests and McNabb's final stats were much better than he played. He was awful when the game was in doubt. McNabb no longer is in his prime, but he's not over the hill. He's no longer All-Pro, but he's no All-Schmo. It might be time for a new starting quarterback for the Eagles. It certainly is time for a new starting quarterback for the Bills. McNabb would not be ..."
McNabb: My fault
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January 11
Camden Courier-Post
 
"After another season ended short of the Super Bowl, Donovan McNabb didn't challenge the Eagles' organization to surround him with more playmakers. Early Sunday morning, about an hour after the Eagles' 34-14 wild-card loss to Dallas blemished the team's previously perfect record of first-round playoff games, the quarterback accepted full responsibility for the embarrassing loss. He also spoke with optimism about the potential of the young, explosive offense to raise the bar next season. But will he be around to lead the unit? After the game, Eagles coach Andy Reid said McNabb would be his starting quarterback in 2010, but Reid has ways of talking around the truth. Remember in training camp ..."
Mixed messages as McNabb wraps up 'outstanding' Eagles season
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January 11
Philadelphia Daily News
 columnist Les Bowen
"This time, Donovan McNabb at least made sure we couldn't say he'd blamed anyone but himself. A promising season and - who knows? - maybe even McNabb's Eagles career had just come crashing down on No. 5's shiny noggin with two lopsided losses to Dallas in the same calendar week. Blame me, McNabb said, but don't get rid of me, after an "outstanding" Eagles season. Bit of a mixed message, for sure. The 6 days between the loss that ended the regular season and the even worse-looking loss that ended everything "was enough time to correct things," McNabb said after failing to inspire an overmatched bunch in a 34-14 dismantling at Cowboys Stadium Saturday night. Andy Reid, Marty Mornhinweg and ..."
McNabb and Kolb, could one be traded?
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January 11
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"The Eagles opened their locker room to the media one final time yesterday as the players officially checked out following Saturday night's 34-14 first-round playoff loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Lots of questions followed them through the doors as they searched for answers to what went wrong in the final two weeks, when a six-game winning streak morphed into consecutive lopsided losses to the Cowboys that brought the season to an abrupt end. As is often the case for coach Andy Reid and the Eagles, the quarterback issue is front and center, and perhaps the debate won't just be waged on talk radio, in barber shops, and on barroom stools this off-season. Reid, team president Joe Banner, and ..."
McNabb came up small in this one
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January 10
Philadelphia Inquirer
 columnist Ashley Fox
"This 34-14 loss, like all the other Eagles postseason losses of the last 10 years, will be pinned firmly on Donovan McNabb, and even his most ardent supporter, Andy Reid, will have a hard time exonerating the quarterback for this one. McNabb was under constant pressure from the Cowboys all night, but he didn't make the plays when he had opportunities. His first pass was in the dirt. His next three also fell incomplete. He had an intentional grounding penalty. McNabb's first completion came midway through the second quarter, and it was short of the first-down marker. At that point, McNabb was 1 of 5 for 2 yards; Tony Romo was 10 of 14 for 130 yards. The Eagles trailed 14-7. It never got ..."
McNabb failed; so did Reid
Comment
January 10
Philadelphia Inquirer
 columnist Phil Sheridan
"The case against Donovan McNabb was made most convincingly here tonight by Donovan McNabb. He didn't complete a pass until midway through the second quarter. One of his biggest gains came when he threw an interception and the Eagles got the ball back downfield on a fumble recovery. For the Eagles' best offensive play, a 76-yard touchdown catch by Jeremy Maclin, McNabb was on the sideline. It was a very bad night for the franchise quarterback of 11 years, and a very rough night for anyone inclined to defend him from the detractors who blame him for every season-ending Eagles loss. A consensus of mysterious origin had formed in the public discourse that McNabb needed a strong postseason ..."
Will an era end?
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January 9
Camden Courier-Post
 columnist Martin Frank
"Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook have been the pillars of the Eagles for several years, which makes it hard to believe that tonight's NFC wild-card playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys could be their last as Eagles if the team loses. McNabb is the quarterback who brought the Eagles to prominence after he was the second overall pick in the 1999 NFL draft, the guy Eagles coach Andy Reid built his team around. Westbrook, meanwhile, was the overlooked running back from Villanova who redefined the position with his ability to run and catch after arriving in 2002. The Eagles have been to the Super Bowl and four other NFC championship games during McNabb's tenure. They have made the playoffs ..."
Fair or not, McNabb to be judged heavily
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January 9
Philadelphia Inquirer
 columnist Mike Jensen
"As the Eagles return to the scene of last week's disaster, Donovan McNabb may wonder - can a first-round NFL playoff game against the Cowboys in his 11th season really be crucial to his entire Eagles legacy? Of course. "If it finishes badly, forget about everything else," said former Eagles player and Fox analyst Brian Baldinger, talking about any season. "With franchise quarterbacks, that's all we want to remember." With McNabb, the legacy obviously can never be judged simply by formula. It starts with wins and losses but extends off the field, often in strange ways. This week, there was a tempest over his words - but one McNabb could have avoided - and legitimate questions were asked ..."
McNabb should return next season
Comment
January 9
Philadelphia Inquirer
 columnist Bob Ford
"Regardless of what happens tonight in Cowboys Stadium, whether the Eagles are able to get past their most hated rival in a playoff game for the first time since the Carter administration, or whether tonight's wild card is a replay of Sunday's shutout debacle, Donovan McNabb will be the team's quarterback for the 2010 season. Begin with that idea. Know it. Understand it. Accept it. Take it to the zoo and buy it ice cream. Donovan will be back, and he should be. This isn't just a case of Andy Reid stubbornly sticking with his first draft pick, the one around whom he built his system and the one he tasked with leading the team to a championship. Reid certainly would be loath to move past ..."