by Zach Wallenson
I get it. The Philadelphia Eagles have three starting-caliber NFL quarterbacks, and all of them have one year remaining on their contract. However, at what point should a franchise trade its still-capable aging Pro Bowler who has been the face of the organization for a decade?
The Eagles have three options at quarterback, a realization that has created a media circus surrounding the team and its 34-year-old signal caller Donovan McNabb. Each quarterback could absolutely start for many NFL teams, but all three have significant pros and cons.
McNabb, although still extremely productive by NFL standards, is beginning to age and will almost certainly not resign with the Eagles following this season. McNabb, who has led the Eagles to five conference championship game appearances and one Super Bowl loss, will make $11.2 million this season.
Kevin Kolb, the quarterback the Eagles apparently want to replace McNabb as soon as this season, is a fourth-year player and former second-round pick of head coach Andy Reid and the Eagles. While Kolb has only started two games in his young career, fans and analysts quickly anointed him McNabb’s replacement after the University of Houston alum became the first quarterback in history to throw for more than 300 yards in each of his first two starts.
Former Pro Bowl quarterback Michael Vick is still stuck behind both McNabb and Kolb, and has yet to be used as anything more than a wildcat QB in the Eagles’ offense. Vick was famously incarcerated for 23 months after pleading guilty to federal dog fighting charges. Although Vick has kept quiet in Philadelphia, he has voiced opinion on his NFL future, stating he knows he’s a starter and would like another chance. No matter what changes occur this summer to the Eagles QB depth chart, one thing is for sure, Vick will not be the starting quarterback.
On Tuesday, ESPN reported that according to an Eagles’ senior official, the team would have already made a deal had they been offered a reasonable return. With rumors flying around the NFL on a daily basis, it seems McNabb’s days in Philadelphia are numbered, a harsh recognition for a die-hard fan base that once booed Santa Claus.
Does McNabb deserve better? Probably, but like anything else in sports, it’s all about business. If the Eagles truly believe Kolb will bolt after this season if he isn’t anointed the starting quarterback position, then as difficult as it is to say goodbye, McNabb must be traded.
The ideal situation would be Kolb signing an extension, and McNabb starting one more year, because even entering his mid-30s, McNabb still posted a 92.9 quarterback rating, a number Kolb will be hard pressed to match as a first-time starter. The Eagles simply can’t enter next offseason with McNabb a free agent and Kolb angry enough to leave despite a clear opportunity to lead the Philadelphia offense.
I understand he is probably the best quarterback in Philadelphia’s history, and should probably be treated like a hero with one more shot to bring home a title, but he isn’t in the same class as someone like Peyton Manning, a completely untradeable figure. In football, even the greatest stars often end their career in places never thought to be previously possible.
Joe Montana ended his career with the Chiefs, and Brett Favre didn’t exactly leave Green Bay on great terms. The point being, McNabb is still a great quarterback, and honestly he probably gives the Eagles the best chance to win this year, but in a business like the NFL, risking the future for a one-year fix is simply not smart or logical.
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