Following Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier‘s decision to bench Donovan McNabb in favor of rookie QB Christian Ponder, there has been a lot speculation that this could be the last time we see McNabb as the starting quarterback for an NFL team.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter writes that McNabb‘s career could be coming to an end.
“Two offseasons ago, the only teams that actively pursued McNabb were Oakland and Washington, and they no longer would be interested. This past summer, Minnesota was the only team that actively courted McNabb, and the Vikings are not expected to do the same this offseason once the veteran’s one-year contract expires. If he wants to continue playing, and McNabb recently said he planned to play multiple seasons, he could have a difficult time finding a new home. And if Vikings rookie quarterback Christian Ponder stays healthy for the remainder of this season, it is fair to wonder whether McNabb has played his last NFL game.”
I know that McNabb has said that he intends on playing for another few years but the NFL has changed and teams are no longer willing to start an aging veteran when they can be building for the future. The quarterback position isn’t like wide receiver where you can take a chance on a veteran player that could end up helping you down the stretch. Teams realize that solidifying that position for the years to come is more beneficial than trying to win in the interim which will limit the number of opportunities that veteran quarterbacks like McNabb will have.
As of right now, you could see the Redskins, Seahawks Dolphins and Browns adding a quarterback next season but they’re more likely to consider drafting a player versus signing a veteran. The Redskins can be scratch from the list as they cut McNabb a few months ago. Seattle is getting younger and Dolphins are very serious about finding their franchise quarterback. Cleveland brought in an aging veteran in recent years with the signing of Jake Delhomme but they too are thinking longterm. I just can’t see McNabb getting anything more than backup position were he’s hoping to get a shot if someone struggles or gets hurt.
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