Donovan McNabb
Encyclopedia
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football
quarterback
who is currently a free agent
. He was the Philadelphia Eagles
' quarterback from 1999
to 2009
and spent the 2010 season
with the Washington Redskins
and a portion of the 2011 season
with the Minnesota Vikings
. In college, McNabb played football
and basketball
for Syracuse University
. The Eagles selected him as the second overall pick of the 1999 NFL Draft
.
McNabb led the Eagles to four consecutive NFC East division championships (2001
, 2002
, 2003
, and 2004
), five NFC Championship Games (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2008
), and one Super Bowl
(Super Bowl XXXIX
, in which the Eagles were defeated by the New England Patriots
). Perhaps his most memorable play has become known as "4th and 26
", which took place against the Green Bay Packers
in the final minutes of a 2003 NFC Divisional playoff game.
He is the Eagles' all-time leader in career wins, pass attempts, pass completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns.
where, as a sophomore he was a teammate of future NFL Players Simeon Rice and Matt Cushing, as they helped Mount Carmel win the 1991 State Championship over Wheaton Central. As a senior, he led the team to a Chicago Prep Bowl championship. McNabb also excelled in track and field during his high school years, and played on the school basketball team with Antoine Walker
. In a controversial move, McNabb played volleyball his junior year, helping to establish the program in its first year at the school.
and the University of Nebraska—offered him scholarship
s to play as quarterback. He initially leaned toward attending Nebraska, as he relished the idea of being coached by Tom Osborne. Eventually, however, he decided to attend Syracuse, principally because he wanted to prove he was a competent "pocket passer", but also for academic reasons.
After redshirting
in 1994, his first year at Syracuse, McNabb went on to start every game during his college career, compiling a 35–14 record. As a freshman, he completed the longest touchdown pass in Syracuse's history—a 96-yard throw against West Virginia University—in a game where he accounted for 354 total yards of offense; he was named the Big East Conference
's rookie of the year at the end of the season. McNabb amassed 2,892 yards of total offense in his junior season to set a school record. As a senior, he led Syracuse to a berth in the Orange Bowl against Florida as he completed 157 of 251 passes (62.5%) for 2,134 yards; he also pushed the eventual champions, the 1998 Tennessee Volunteers, to the limit in a very close game. His 22 touchdown passes tied the school's single season record, set by former Eagle Don McPherson in 1987. McNabb also rushed 135 times for 438 yards and 8 touchdowns. He ranked sixth in the nation with a 158.9 passing efficiency rating and 22nd in total offense, with 233.8 yards per game. He tied a school record with 4 touchdown passes against Cincinnati, and scored 5 touchdowns against Miami (3 rushing and 2 passing).
McNabb was named the Big East's offensive player of the decade for the 1990s, and Big East Offensive Player of the Year an unprecedented three times from 1996–98, as well as the first-team all-conference vote earner in each of his four seasons. Later, he was named to the Syracuse All-Century Football team. He also spent two years as a reserve on the school's nationally ranked basketball team, including the 1996 squad that lost to Kentucky in the National Championship game.
McNabb was also a walk-on for two seasons for the Syracuse basketball team under legendary head coach Jim Boeheim
.
Big East records
Syracuse University records
, in the 1999 NFL Draft
, a choice which was famously booed
by Philadelphia fans present at the draft, most of whom were pushing for their team to draft University of Texas running back Ricky Williams
. McNabb was the second of five quarterbacks selected in the first 12 picks of a quarterback-rich class that was at that point considered the best quarterback draft since the famous Class of 1983
. However, only McNabb and Daunte Culpepper
would go on to have successful careers in the NFL; Tim Couch struggled with the Cleveland Browns
and officially retired in 2007 after being cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars
in a failed comeback bid, while Akili Smith
and Cade McNown
were out of the NFL by 2002. By 2006, only McNabb was still with the team that originally drafted him.
McNabb saw his first NFL regular season action in the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
in a 19-5 home loss on September 19. He made his first career start at home against Washington on November 14, completing 8 of 21 passes for 60 yards in a 35-28 win. He also had nine carries for 49 rushing yards and led the team to a pair of successful two-point conversions (one rush and one pass). He was the first Eagles rookie to start at quarterback since Brad Goebel
, and the first Eagles rookie draft pick to start since John Reaves
in 1972. With the win, McNabb became the first Eagles rookie quarterback to win his first NFL start since Mike Boryla
(December 1, 1974 against Green Bay) and the first Eagle quarterback to win his first start since Ty Detmer
(October 13, 1996 against New York Giants
).
McNabb threw the first touchdown pass of his career (six yards to tight end
Chad Lewis
) vs. Indianapolis
in a 44-17 home loss on November 21, 1999. McNabb went on to start six of the Eagles' final seven contests (missing the December 19 home game against New England, a 24-9 victory, due to injury).
, McNabb finished second in the Associated Press
MVP voting (24-11) to St. Louis Rams
running back
Marshall Faulk
, who set the NFL record for most touchdowns scored in a season. McNabb made his prime time
debut on ESPN
against Atlanta
at home on October 1, with his first 300-yard passing game in a 38-10 victory and the Eagles' first 300-yard passer since Bobby Hoying against the Cincinnati Bengals
at home on November 30, 1997. McNabb's 55 pass attempts at Pittsburgh
in a come-from-behind 26-23 overtime victory on November 12 were a career high and the fourth-highest total in team history. He was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week after accounting for 90.7% of the offense in a 23–20 victory at Washington on November 26. His 125 rushing yards were the most by an NFL quarterback since the Chicago Bears
' Bobby Douglass
(127 on December 17, 1972) and was the sixth-best rushing effort by a quarterback since 1940 when the T formation
was introduced. He threw for a career-high 390 passing yards and four touchdowns in a 35-24 victory at Cleveland
on December 10 en route to NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. McNabb led the Eagles to their first playoff appearance since 1996, where they defeated the favored Tampa Bay Buccaneers
21–3 before losing to the New York Giants
20–10.
McNabb was selected as a first alternate to the NFC
Pro Bowl
squad in 2000 (behind Daunte Culpepper
, Jeff Garcia
, and Kurt Warner
). When Warner was unable to participate due to injury, McNabb took his spot and led the NFC on a touchdown scoring drive in his first series. He accounted for 74.6% of the team's total net yards in 2000. Only Carolina's
Steve Beuerlein
(75.3%) and San Francisco's
Garcia (75.1%) had a higher percentage. His 629 rushing yards in 2000 were the highest among NFL quarterbacks and, at the time, the fourth-highest total ever (968 by Bobby Douglass in 1972; 942 by Randall Cunningham
in 1990; and 674 by Steve McNair
in 1997. Michael Vick
has since eclipsed that total three times). His six rushing touchdowns in 2000 were the most by an Eagles quarterback since Randall Cunningham, who also had six in 1988. McNabb broke the club's single season record for most attempts (569) and completions (330) in 2000, marks previously set by Cunningham (560 and 301 respectively) in 1988. He was named 2000 NFL Player of the Year by CBS Radio and the Terry (Bradshaw) Awards on Fox Sports and was named to the All-Madden team.
McNabb led the Eagles in fourth-quarter comebacks in two wins vs. the Giants in 2001
. At the Meadowlands on October 22, his 18-yard pass to James Thrash
with 1:52 remaining gave the Eagles a 10-9 victory. He wiped out a 21-14 deficit on December 30, engineering two fourth-quarter scores as the Eagles clinched the NFC East title with a 24-21 over archrival New York Giants
. His eight career playoff touchdowns trails only Ron Jaworski
(9). He was named NFL Offensive Player of the Week after the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Chicago on January 19, 2002, completing 26-of-40 for 262 yards and two touchdowns passing and adding 37 yards and a touchdown on the ground, which was also the final touchdown at the old Soldier Field
. He became only the fourth quarterback in Eagles history to pass for 3,000 yards in consecutive seasons - Sonny Jurgensen
(1961–62), Ron Jaworski (1980–81), and Randall Cunningham (1988–90) were the others. McNabb's Eagles advanced to the NFC championship game for the first time since 1980, losing to the heavily favored St. Louis Rams
.
McNabb earned his second trip to the Pro Bowl (was originally elected as an alternate) following the 2001 season after combining for 3,715 yards of total offense and establishing career highs in touchdown passes (25) and quarterback rating (84.3). Including playoffs, he threw touchdown passes in 15 of 18 games and two-or-more in 12 of those games. He was named by his teammates as the club's offensive MVP in 2000 and 2001. During the off-season, McNabb signed a new contract with the Eagles worth $115 million over 12 years, with a $20.5 million signing bonus.
In week 11 of the 2002 season
, McNabb suffered a broken ankle. On the third play of the game against the Arizona Cardinals
, he was sacked by the Cardinals' Adrian Wilson and LeVar Woods. He fumbled the ball, fell to the ground, and held his right leg. He went to the locker room to have his ankle taped, but returned for the Eagles' second drive. His injury was reported to be a sprained ankle, but X-rays after the game revealed that McNabb had broken his fibula in three places. During the game, however, he was 20-of-25 passing, with 255 yards and four touchdowns. McNabb was out for the last six weeks of the regular season. A dominant defense helped A. J. Feeley and Koy Detmer
go a combined 5-1 to finish the season. McNabb returned to face the Atlanta Falcons
in the playoffs, but he recovered slowly. The Eagles defeated the Falcons 20–6, but were upset at home by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
27–10 in the NFC championship game.
In late September 2003, McNabb was the subject of very controversial comments made by Rush Limbaugh
, who worked as a commentator for ESPN at the time, stating that McNabb was overrated and that, "I think what we’ve had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well". The comments came after the Eagles began the season 0–2, losing to defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers and eventual champion New England
, both losses coming in their newly opened stadium, Lincoln Financial Field
. There had been much discussion about the merit of these comments, which resulted in Limbaugh's resignation from ESPN. Football writer Allen Barra argued that Limbaugh's comments were in line with McNabb's statistical performance at the time.
Despite the slow beginning in the 2003 season
, McNabb again led his team to the NFC Championship game. Although the slow start hindered his overall statistics for 2003, McNabb had the highest quarterback rating (97.5) in the NFL for the second half of the season and also completed over 62% of his passes for over eight yards per attempt. With Philadelphia's 14–3 home loss to the underdog Carolina Panthers
in the 2003 NFC championship game, McNabb became the first NFL quarterback since Danny White
of the Dallas Cowboys
(1980–1982) to lead a team to three consecutive defeats in conference title games, prompting some observers to conclude that McNabb "chokes
" in big games (his cumulative passer rating
in the three conference championship games was 50.5 - a figure that is approximately 10 points lower than what the worst quarterback in the league earns over the course of a typical year). McNabb was knocked out of the NFC title game after being hit on the ground by Panthers' linebacker Will Witherspoon
after he had been tripped up on a broken play.
McNabb's defenders, however, argue that Philadelphia had the worst contingent of wide receiver
s in the NFL throughout McNabb's tenure with the team up to that point, and perhaps in modern professional football history. In 2003, for example, Philadelphia's wide receivers caught only five touchdown passes - tying the record for fewest in a season since the regular-season schedule was lengthened to its present 16 games in 1978 and that, by going the entire months of September and October without having a wide receiver catch a touchdown pass, the 2003 Eagles became the first NFL team since 1945 not to have gotten a touchdown pass from any of its wide receivers in the first two months of a season.
of 104.7. Furthermore, he became the first quarterback in league history to throw over 30 touchdowns and fewer than 10 interceptions in a single season. This dramatic improvement coincided with a massive upgrading of the Eagles' receiving corps, namely the arrival of Terrell Owens
, who caught 14 touchdowns. As a result, the Eagles won their first seven games of the season for the first time in franchise history, clinched first place in their division with five weeks still to play in the regular season (becoming only the third team in modern NFL history to do this) and won the NFC's Eastern Division by a record-tying seven-game margin in posting a 13-3 record, the franchise's best 16-game season ever.
McNabb's finest moment of the season and of his career came that year in a week 13 game with fellow Super Bowl contenders the Green Bay Packers
. After starting the game completing his first 14 passes (an NFL record), he led the Eagles to a 47-17 blowout victory. McNabb passed for an Eagles record 464 yards and 5 touchdowns, which all came in the first half. In 2010, it was ranked #1 by Eagles fans as the 'game of the decade.'
In the playoffs, McNabb led the Eagles to their second Super Bowl
trip ever, with victories over the Minnesota Vikings
27-14 and Atlanta Falcons
27-10. Owens was not in the lineup during the two playoff victories, and was recovering from a broken ankle. McNabb became only the third African-American quarterback to start in a Super Bowl
after Doug Williams
in the 1987 season and Steve McNair
in 1999.
McNabb led his team against the New England Patriots
in Super Bowl XXXIX
. McNabb struggled at times, throwing three crucial interceptions. Two of these were thrown in New England territory, and one of those two was inside the twenty-yard line. The final interception was during a last-gasp Hail Mary
at the end of the game. He was also sacked four times. Controversy surrounded the end of the game, as center Hank Fraley
claimed that McNabb was seriously ill. Wide receiver
Freddie Mitchell
claimed that he had to call a few plays due to McNabb's illness. However, in an interview with NBC, McNabb said he was not sick and did not throw up. He just said he was tired. Some reports claim that McNabb had the wind knocked out of him by an earlier hit while others assert that he was unduly fatigued (interestingly, McNabb also suffered from a bout of nausea at the conclusion of a 2002 regular-season game played at Alltel Stadium, where Super Bowl XXXIX
was contested). An article written by a staff member of the Philadelphia Inquirer refuted allegations of McNabb throwing up during the Super Bowl and even labeled the alleged incident "a myth". Both head coach Andy Reid
and McNabb have denied any physical problems that led to the puzzlingly slow pace of play, but they did not address mental problems. McNabb finished the game with 30 completions for 357 yards, the third highest total for both categories in Super Bowl history, and three touchdowns. The Eagles lost 24–21.
began with turmoil and ended on the injured reserve
list. Terrell Owens
had called out McNabb repeatedly since the Super Bowl XXXIX
loss and refused to speak with McNabb. Despite not speaking with his main target and all the distractions that came with the Owens controversy, McNabb managed to be named the NFC's Player of the Month
for September. That month, McNabb threw for 964 yards, eight touchdowns and only two interceptions in three games, leading the Eagles to a 2-1 record. McNabb carried that momentum into October as he went 33-for-48 (68.8 completion percentage), threw for 369 yards and three touchdowns en route to leading the Eagles to a memorable come-from-behind victory at an unfriendly Arrowhead Stadium
against the Kansas City Chiefs
. McNabb could not keep the momentum rolling, however, as the Eagles lost four straight games. Over that span, McNabb posted a quarterback rating higher than 72 only once, on November 6, at the Washington Redskins
. After playing with a sports hernia and sore thumb, McNabb's season was finally over after a disastrous effort at home on November 14 on Monday night against the rival Dallas Cowboys
. McNabb was intercepted by Roy Williams
towards the end of the game, and tried to tackle the defender when Scott Shanle
came in and tackled McNabb to the ground. McNabb had injured his groin on the play and was placed on the injured reserve
list later that week. Mike McMahon replaced him at quarterback, and went 2–5 as a starter, with the Eagles finishing the season with a 6–10 record overall. Though low for his standards, McNabb put up respectable numbers in 2005. In nine games, he threw for 2,507 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions. To go along with that, he completed 59.1% (211-357) of his passes. Prior to his season-ending injury, McNabb was on pace to throw for 4,457 yards, which would have easily eclipsed his career high of 3,875, set in 2004.
McNabb and the Eagles began the 2006 season
at 5-4 heading into a week 11 game with Tennessee Titans
on November 19. At that point, McNabb had been having an up-and-down season. His weekly passing ratings ranged from a lofty 113 all the way down to 65. Overall, the team was struggling. During the game, McNabb tore the anterior cruciate ligament
(ACL) and meniscus in his right knee while jumping out of bounds, ending his season, the third time in five years McNabb had gone down with six or more games remaining in the regular season. Eagles officials stated that his rehabilitation would likely last eight to twelve months, which completely ended his 2006 season and even raised questions as to whether he would be ready to begin playing by the beginning of the 2007 season. In the meantime, veteran backup quarterback Jeff Garcia
took McNabb's place as the Eagles' starting quarterback. Garcia had success, leading the Eagles from 5-5 after the Tennessee game to 10-6 and winners of the NFC East Division. The Eagles went on to win their home playoff game in the Wild Card round of the playoffs against the New York Giants
, 23-20, with Garcia under center. However, in the following divisional round they were beaten by the New Orleans Saints
in the Superdome
, 27-24.
Having played nearly up to full speed in the preseason games, it was decided that McNabb would return to the field several months short of the full year-long recovery expected of an ACL injury. In the season-opener at Green Bay
, the Eagles and McNabb suffered a 16-13 loss. McNabb had his share of problems, completing less than half of his passes for 184 yards and one touchdown. The Eagles lost their first home game of the season to the rival Washington Redskins
, 20-12, though his numbers improved. As week 3 approached, skeptics had already wondered whether McNabb still had his skill that propelled him to success in the past. The Eagles defeated the Detroit Lions
in a 56-21 win in week 3. McNabb completed 21 out of his 26 attempted passes for 381 yards. Four of those passes went for touchdowns (three of them went to Kevin Curtis
). His brilliant performance against the Lions was highlighted by his first perfect (158.3) quarterback rating game. However, week 4 did not prove to be as good as the Eagles thought it would be. The Eagles endured yet another loss, this time to the New York Giants
. The Giants' defense, led by defensive end
Osi Umenyiora
, sacked McNabb a record-tying 12 times. McNabb completed 15 out of 31 attempted passes for 138 yards and no touchdowns. In the week 6 game against the Jets
, McNabb completed 22 out of 36 attempted passes for 278 yards total. McNabb also had a touchdown pass to Curtis, plus one interception. With the help of placekicker
David Akers
, the Eagles went on to win, 16–9. McNabb had stated before the Dallas Cowboys game that the NFC East title went through Philadelphia, so Dallas responded with a 38-17 win on Sunday Night Football
. Against the Redskins, McNabb completed a high percentage of passes and ended with a quarterback rating of 138.5 in a tough win. In the week 11 game against the Miami Dolphins
, McNabb sprained his ankle and injured his right (throwing side) thumb. As a result, McNabb had been ruled out for the game against the New England Patriots
, and was replaced by A. J. Feeley, who, although gave a valiant effort through two games, came up short. Feeley threw seven interceptions in two games (four coming in the opening and closing drives of both games). During a win against the Cowboys, sideline reporter Pam Oliver
reported during the game that McNabb indicated that he did not expect to be back in Philadelphia for the 2008 season. McNabb later indicated that this was not true, and stated that although he believed rookie Kevin Kolb
's time would come, he would be an Eagle the next season.
McNabb caused another mild stir in camp when he suggested that the Eagles should not have lost a game to any of their NFC East opponents the previous season. He felt that they were just a few plays away from being a playoff team. He even went on to say, "I still put us at the top of the NFC." In week 1 of the 2008 NFL season
, McNabb threw for 361 yards (the most of any quarterback that week) and three touchdowns which included a 90-yard toss to Hank Baskett
at the end of the second quarter. This performance led to him receiving the FedEx Air Player of the Week
award. In week 3 against the Steelers
, McNabb threw his 176th career touchdown, passing Ron Jaworski
and becoming the Eagles' all-time touchdown pass leader.
McNabb set a career-high with 58 passing attempts (completing 28), and tied a career-high with three interceptions in the NFL's first tie game in six years, when the Eagles played the Cincinnati Bengals
and ended up with a 13-13 tie. McNabb later admitted that he was not aware that an NFL (regular-season) game could end in a tie, leading to controversy because this could have affected game strategy.
After the tie, McNabb struggled in a game against the Baltimore Ravens
, going 8-of-18 for 54 yards with two interceptions, a fumble and being sacked twice. In the second half, Andy Reid decided to go with Kevin Kolb
, who was in his second year in the league. This was McNabb's first time being benched for something other than injury or a meaningless game. In the game, Kolb threw an interception that was returned 108 yards for a touchdown by safety Ed Reed
, breaking the record he previously held for longest interception returned for a touchdown.
In the next game against the Arizona Cardinals
on primetime on Thanksgiving, McNabb was able to come back, completing 27-of-39 passes for 260 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions, defeating the Cardinals 48–20.
On December 7, McNabb went 19-for-30 with 191 yards and one touchdown and also rushed for 20 yards in a 20–14 win over the New York Giants.
Despite his up-and-down season, McNabb helped the Eagles reach the playoffs for the seventh time in his nine seasons as a starter. He also set a career-high with 3,916 yards passing and led the Eagles to a franchise-record 416 points. The Eagles defeated the Dallas Cowboys 44–6 in the final week of the regular season to clinch the final playoff berth in the NFC.
In the wild card round, McNabb threw for 300 yards, including a 71-yard touchdown to Brian Westbrook
, to lead Philadelphia to a 26–14 win over the Minnesota Vikings
.
On January 11, 2009, McNabb led the Eagles past the Giants in the divisional round of the playoffs. The Eagles won 23–11 (it was the first ever NFL game to finish with the score of 23-11) and advanced to the NFC Championship game against the Arizona Cardinals, whom they had beaten earlier in the season. In the game, McNabb was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct
when, after being tackled into the Giants' sideline after a lengthy run, he picked up the Giants' coaching phone in jest.
On January 18, McNabb and his Eagles were defeated by the Arizona Cardinals 32–25 in the NFC Conference Championship, ending their season. McNabb threw for 375 yards on 47 attempts, with three touchdowns, and one interception off a deflected pass, most of this in the second half after his Eagles only managed 6 points to the Cardinals' 24 in the first half. McNabb also ran for 31 yards on two carries. Despite his excellent second-half performance, McNabb was criticized by the television broadcast commentators and other media sources for accuracy problems during downs and series of consequence.
, the Eagles picked Missouri Tigers
star wide receiver Jeremy Maclin
to add to McNabb's receiving corps, with Kevin Curtis
and DeSean Jackson
.
In the season-opener, McNabb led the Eagles to a 38-10 win over the Carolina Panthers
. McNabb completed 10 of his 18 passes for a total of 79 yards and two touchdowns. However, Andy Reid said the following Monday that McNabb broke a rib while rushing for a touchdown in the third quarter. The Eagles were hopeful McNabb would start in the week 2 game against the New Orleans Saints
, however he was kept on the sidelines in both week 2 and week 3. Kevin Kolb replaced him, and the Eagles lost to the Saints, but beat the Chiefs the next week. Following the Eagles bye week in week 4, McNabb returned in the week 5 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
completing 16 of his 21 attempts for 264 yards and three touchdowns and being responsible for 210 of the 219 yards that the Eagles offense managed in total in the first half.
McNabb reached 200 career touchdowns and 30,000 career yards passed in a win against the Washington Redskins
on October 26, 2009 with a 45-yard touchdown pass to DeSean Jackson
.
In week 11, McNabb returned to his hometown of Chicago
for a Sunday Night Football
matchup against the Chicago Bears
. McNabb went 23-for-32, throwing for 244 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception as he led a fourth quarter comeback to win the game 24-20 and keep the Eagles playoff hopes alive as they improved their record to 6-4.
Again, in week 12, the Eagles faced the Washington Redskins
as McNabb led yet another fourth quarter comeback, improving the Eagles to 7-4 with a 27-24 win. McNabb passed 21-for-35 with 260 yards and a touchdown.
In week 13, McNabb led the Eagles to a 34-7 rout of the Atlanta Falcons
, passing for 238 yards and TD and helped reintroduce Michael Vick
to the league, allowing him to score a passing and rushing TD. The following week, McNabb led the Eagles to another close victory over the New York Giants
, passing for 2 TDs and 275 yards in a shootout, leading the Eagles on top 45-38.
In week 15, McNabb secured a playoff bid for the Eagles with a victory over San Francisco, throwing for 306 yards, but also threw two poor passes for interceptions, which raised questions about his accuracy and decision-making.
In week 16, McNabb was able to win yet another close game against the Denver Broncos
led by the return of former Eagle Brian Dawkins
, throwing for 322 yards and 3 touchdowns, in which he put on a strong first half performance and put on a significant lead over Denver, but struggled the second half as Denver was able to tie the game at 27-27. However, McNabb was able to execute a final game-winning drive, finished off with sideline pass and impressive catch by Jeremy Maclin
to set up the game winning field goal, winning the game 30-27 for Philadelphia and improving their record to 11-4.
In the season finale against the Dallas Cowboys
, the Eagles were presented with a golden opportunity to improve their record to 12-4, clinch the NFC East, secure the 2nd seed, and earn a first round bye. However, starting Center Jamaal Jackson
went down with a season-ending torn ACL. McNabb found it difficult to adjust to Jackson's replacement Nick Cole
and it showed, as he fumbled a snap to take the Eagles out of a scoring drive. He also overthrew DeSean Jackson
on a fly pattern that would have given Philadelphia an early touchdown. The Eagles would lose the season finale in a humiliating blowout of 24-0 to Dallas, ending their 6 game winning streak, giving the division to Dallas and falling to the 6th seed, with a record of 11-5. McNabb was criticized for missing crucial opportunities and was speculated to be on the hot seat in next week's rematch with Dallas in the wild-card round of the post-season.
However, the wild-card rematch with Dallas would prove to be just as disastrous, if not worse. McNabb struggled early on and was unable to get the offense into a rhythm until it was too late. His lone score came in the second half off a meaningless touchdown to DeSean Jackson
. Philadelphia would fall 34-14 to Dallas, marking the first time McNabb had ever lost a first-round playoff game. Despite there being many factors in Philadelphia's loss, such as the horrible play of the defense, lack of sufficient protection along the offensive line, and costly turnovers by Michael Vick
and Leonard Weaver, McNabb was heavily criticized for the loss for failure to rally the team early and holding onto the ball for too long. Despite having had arguably one of his best seasons statistically in 2009, McNabb began to face criticism and speculation about his future with the Eagles. Many also criticized a scene of him emerging from the Cowboys stadium tunnel, dancing and playing air-guitar and concluded that he was not a serious leader and contender and called for his replacement by the seemingly more serious Kevin Kolb
.
stated that McNabb would remain the starting quarterback in Philadelphia for the 2010 season. However, on April 4, the Eagles traded McNabb to the Washington Redskins
in return for a second-round (37th overall) pick in the 2010 NFL Draft
and a conditional third- or fourth-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft
.
In the first week of the 2010 season, McNabb and head coach Mike Shanahan
led the Redskins to victory over the Dallas Cowboys
. In week 2, McNabb nearly engineered a victory over the Houston Texans
, passing for 426 yards (second most of his career), but came up just short of a victory when the Texans prevailed 30-27 in overtime. In week 4, on October 3, McNabb played against the Eagles for the first time, returning with the Redskins to Lincoln Financial Field
in Philadelphia. Although McNabb posted only pedestrian statistics, the Redskins won 17-12. During pre-game introductions, McNabb received a standing ovation from Eagles fans, then hugged former coach Andy Reid
at their post-game handshake.
In week 5, McNabb struggled for the first three quarters, but rallied the Redskins to a 16-13 overtime victory against the Green Bay Packers
at FedEx Field. He was 26-49 for 357 yards with one touchdown and one interception. In week 6, McNabb was 29-45 for 246 yards. He threw one touchdown and was intercepted twice, with the second interception coming on fourth down in the last minute of the fourth quarter against the visiting Indianapolis Colts
. The Redskins fell to the Colts 27-24. McNabb's passer rating was 67.5.
In week 8, the Redskins played against the Detroit Lions
. When the Redskins were losing 30-25 in the fourth quarter with 3:12 left, Shanahan benched McNabb for the two-minute drill in favor of backup quarterback Rex Grossman
. On his first play Grossman fumbled the ball, which was recovered for a touchdown by Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh
, sealing the Lions' victory of 37-25. Shanahan stated in a press conference that McNabb would remain the Redskins' starting quarterback. On November 15, 2010 McNabb signed a five-year extension worth $78 million ($3.5 million guaranteed) with a chance to make it $88 million by completing incentives. If McNabb is not cut by the completion of the 2010 season the Redskins will owe Mcnabb a $10 million bonus. The same day his Redskins suffered an embarrassing 59-28 defeat by his former team, the Eagles, at home on Monday Night Football. On December 17, 2010, head coach Mike Shanahan relegated McNabb to the 3rd quarterback position for the rest of this season, stating that he wanted to evaluate backup Rex Grossman in game play.
McNabb had perhaps one of his worst years of his career since 1999, going down in touchdowns and up in interceptions. However, at the time McNabb was demoted to third string, he was on pace to total 4,156 passing yards for the season, which would have broken the Redskins' all-time franchise record, and been the first time he had exceeded the 4,000 yard mark in his career.
came to an agreement on terms for a trade. After restructuring his contract, Washington traded McNabb to Minnesota in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick in 2012 and a conditional sixth-round draft pick in 2013. McNabb had been rumored as a possible addition to the Vikings for the past three years, in part due to his relationship with then-coach Brad Childress
, the former Eagles Offensive Coordinator. Vikings punter Chris Kluwe
agreed to give McNabb his no. 5 jersey, in exchange for a $5,000 donation to Kick for a Cure, McNabb to promote Kluwe's band "Tripping Icarus" during a press conference, and an ice cream cone. On October 18, it was announced that McNabb would no longer be the starting quarterback for the Vikings as the job was given to rookie Christian Ponder
for the remainder of the season. On December 1, 2011, he was released upon request.
McNabb has totaled 3,341 yards on 587 carries and 28 touchdowns rushing in his career, along with 362 yards on 63 attempts and three touchdowns in the playoffs.
McNabb holds the record for most consecutive pass attempts completed with 24 over two games in 2004 against the New York Giants (his final 10 passes on November 28, 2004) and Green Bay Packers (his first 14 passes on December 5, 2004). Mark Brunell
and David Carr
hold the record for most consecutive completed passes in a single game with 22. McNabb also completed 25 consecutive passes against the San Diego Chargers
on October 23, 2005, but this record is not counted by the NFL as it included a spiking of the ball to stop the clock at the end of the half. The 2005 game was also noteworthy for Coach Reid calling for McNabb to have 25 pass attempts in a row, without interruption by a running play.
Through the 2010-11 NFL season, McNabb ranks fourth best all-time in career interception percentage (2.20%) among NFL quarterbacks. Among quarterbacks with at least 1,500 pass attempts, only Aaron Rodgers
(1.99%), Neil O'Donnell
(2.11%), and Tom Brady
(2.19%) have a lower career interception percentage than McNabb.
, an affluent suburb of Philadelphia, and Chandler, Arizona
.
In 2002, McNabb, who holds a Bachelor of Science
degree in speech communication from Syracuse University, was named to the institution's Board of Trustees; he is one of the youngest trustees to have served there. It is stated on his website that he plans to use his speech communication degree when his playing days are over to become a broadcaster.
McNabb's parents, Sam and Wilma McNabb, have gained fame appearing as themselves in a series of Campbell's Chunky Soup commercials. Actress Marcella Lowery
has played McNabb's mother on occasion. Wilma is also a vice president of the NFL Mothers' Association and the executive director of the Donovan McNabb Foundation, and runs McNabb Unlimited, which oversees Donovan's endorsements.
McNabb also played basketball at Syracuse University as a reserve guard. In the 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
national championship game against the University of Kentucky Wildcats
, McNabb played against his former high school teammate Antoine Walker
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
' quarterback from 1999
1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
to 2009
2009 NFL season
The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at...
and spent the 2010 season
2010 NFL season
The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,...
with the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
and a portion of the 2011 season
2011 NFL season
The 2011 NFL season, the 92nd regular season of the National Football League, began on Thursday, September 8, 2011 with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers defeating the New Orleans Saints 42–34 at Lambeau Field and will end with Super Bowl XLVI, the league's championship game, on...
with the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
. In college, McNabb played football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
and basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
for Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
. The Eagles selected him as the second overall pick of the 1999 NFL Draft
1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17-18, 1999...
.
McNabb led the Eagles to four consecutive NFC East division championships (2001
2001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
, 2002
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
, 2003
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
, and 2004
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
), five NFC Championship Games (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2008
NFL playoffs, 2008–09
The National Football League playoffs for the 2008 season began on January 3, 2009 and led up to Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.-NFC: Arizona Cardinals 30, Atlanta Falcons 24:...
), and one Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
(Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
, in which the Eagles were defeated by the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
). Perhaps his most memorable play has become known as "4th and 26
4th and 26
4th and 26 is the commonly used name for a famous play on Sunday, January 11, 2004, during the 2003–04 NFL playoffs. The play occurred during the fourth quarter of a divisional playoff game between the visiting Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in...
", which took place against the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
in the final minutes of a 2003 NFC Divisional playoff game.
He is the Eagles' all-time leader in career wins, pass attempts, pass completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns.
Early years
McNabb was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and he attended Mount Carmel High SchoolMount Carmel High School (Chicago)
Mount Carmel High School is an all boys, Catholic high school in the city of Chicago, Illinois. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, the school has been operated by the Carmelite order of priests and brothers since 1900...
where, as a sophomore he was a teammate of future NFL Players Simeon Rice and Matt Cushing, as they helped Mount Carmel win the 1991 State Championship over Wheaton Central. As a senior, he led the team to a Chicago Prep Bowl championship. McNabb also excelled in track and field during his high school years, and played on the school basketball team with Antoine Walker
Antoine Walker
Antoine Devon Walker is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League...
. In a controversial move, McNabb played volleyball his junior year, helping to establish the program in its first year at the school.
College career
Though McNabb was approached by recruiters from numerous colleges, only two schools—Syracuse UniversitySyracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
and the University of Nebraska—offered him scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s to play as quarterback. He initially leaned toward attending Nebraska, as he relished the idea of being coached by Tom Osborne. Eventually, however, he decided to attend Syracuse, principally because he wanted to prove he was a competent "pocket passer", but also for academic reasons.
After redshirting
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
in 1994, his first year at Syracuse, McNabb went on to start every game during his college career, compiling a 35–14 record. As a freshman, he completed the longest touchdown pass in Syracuse's history—a 96-yard throw against West Virginia University—in a game where he accounted for 354 total yards of offense; he was named the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
's rookie of the year at the end of the season. McNabb amassed 2,892 yards of total offense in his junior season to set a school record. As a senior, he led Syracuse to a berth in the Orange Bowl against Florida as he completed 157 of 251 passes (62.5%) for 2,134 yards; he also pushed the eventual champions, the 1998 Tennessee Volunteers, to the limit in a very close game. His 22 touchdown passes tied the school's single season record, set by former Eagle Don McPherson in 1987. McNabb also rushed 135 times for 438 yards and 8 touchdowns. He ranked sixth in the nation with a 158.9 passing efficiency rating and 22nd in total offense, with 233.8 yards per game. He tied a school record with 4 touchdown passes against Cincinnati, and scored 5 touchdowns against Miami (3 rushing and 2 passing).
McNabb was named the Big East's offensive player of the decade for the 1990s, and Big East Offensive Player of the Year an unprecedented three times from 1996–98, as well as the first-team all-conference vote earner in each of his four seasons. Later, he was named to the Syracuse All-Century Football team. He also spent two years as a reserve on the school's nationally ranked basketball team, including the 1996 squad that lost to Kentucky in the National Championship game.
McNabb was also a walk-on for two seasons for the Syracuse basketball team under legendary head coach Jim Boeheim
Jim Boeheim
James Arthur "Jim" Boeheim is the head coach of the men's basketball team at Syracuse University. Boeheim has guided the Orange to eight Big East regular season championships, five Big East Tournament championships, and 28 NCAA Tournament appearances, including three appearances in the national...
.
Big East records
- 1st - touchdown passes (77)
- 2nd - touchdowns responsible for (96) behind Pat White
- 5th - passing yards (8,389)
- 3rd - total offensive yards (9,950) behind Matt GrotheMatt GrotheMatt Grothe is a professional quarterback who is currently a member of the Tampa Bay Storm. He has been with the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. He played college football at South Florida....
and Pat White - 1st - total offensive plays (1,403)
Syracuse University records
- 1st - total yards per game (221.1)
- 1st - passing efficiency (155.1)
- 1st - yards per attempt (9.1)
1999: Rookie season
McNabb was drafted second overall by the Eagles, behind first pick Tim CouchTim Couch
Timothy Scott "Tim" Couch is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at the University of Kentucky...
, in the 1999 NFL Draft
1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17-18, 1999...
, a choice which was famously booed
Booing
Booing is an act of showing displeasure for someone or something, generally an entertainer, by loudly yelling boo! or making other noises of disparagement, such as hissing. People may make hand signs at the entertainer, such as the thumbs down sign...
by Philadelphia fans present at the draft, most of whom were pushing for their team to draft University of Texas running back Ricky Williams
Ricky Williams
Errick Lynne "Ricky" Williams, Jr. is an American football running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints fifth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft...
. McNabb was the second of five quarterbacks selected in the first 12 picks of a quarterback-rich class that was at that point considered the best quarterback draft since the famous Class of 1983
1983 NFL Draft
The 1983 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1983...
. However, only McNabb and Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Rachard Culpepper is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He last played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League . Prior to joining the UFL, Culpepper enjoyed a successful National Football League career after being drafted 11th overall in...
would go on to have successful careers in the NFL; Tim Couch struggled with the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and officially retired in 2007 after being cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in a failed comeback bid, while Akili Smith
Akili Smith
Kabisa Akili Maradufu Smith is a former professional American and Canadian football quarterback. He was selected in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, the third quarterback in the first three choices, behind Tim Couch , and Donovan McNabb...
and Cade McNown
Cade McNown
Cade B. McNown is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League...
were out of the NFL by 2002. By 2006, only McNabb was still with the team that originally drafted him.
McNabb saw his first NFL regular season action in the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
in a 19-5 home loss on September 19. He made his first career start at home against Washington on November 14, completing 8 of 21 passes for 60 yards in a 35-28 win. He also had nine carries for 49 rushing yards and led the team to a pair of successful two-point conversions (one rush and one pass). He was the first Eagles rookie to start at quarterback since Brad Goebel
Brad Goebel
Bradley Arlen Goebel is a former professional American football player who played quarterback for three seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Cleveland Browns....
, and the first Eagles rookie draft pick to start since John Reaves
John Reaves
Thomas Johnson "John" Reaves is a former American college and professional football player who was a quarterback for eleven seasons in the National Football League and three seasons in the United States Football League...
in 1972. With the win, McNabb became the first Eagles rookie quarterback to win his first NFL start since Mike Boryla
Mike Boryla
Michael Jay Boryla was an American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1970s. He played college football at Stanford University, where he was the team's MVP during his senior season...
(December 1, 1974 against Green Bay) and the first Eagle quarterback to win his first start since Ty Detmer
Ty Detmer
Ty Hubert Detmer is a former National Football League and NCAA quarterback. He starred at Brigham Young University, where he set many records and won the Heisman Trophy in 1990...
(October 13, 1996 against New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
).
McNabb threw the first touchdown pass of his career (six yards to tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
Chad Lewis
Chad Lewis
Chad Wayne Lewis is a former American football tight end in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and St. Louis Rams.-Early life:...
) vs. Indianapolis
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
in a 44-17 home loss on November 21, 1999. McNabb went on to start six of the Eagles' final seven contests (missing the December 19 home game against New England, a 24-9 victory, due to injury).
2000–03: McNabb becomes a star
In his first full season as a NFL starter in 20002000 NFL season
The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
, McNabb finished second in the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
MVP voting (24-11) to St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Marshall Faulk
Marshall Faulk
Marshall William Faulk is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League. He is currently an analyst for NFL Total Access, Thursday Night Football, and NFL GameDay Morning on the NFL Network...
, who set the NFL record for most touchdowns scored in a season. McNabb made his prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
debut on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
against Atlanta
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
at home on October 1, with his first 300-yard passing game in a 38-10 victory and the Eagles' first 300-yard passer since Bobby Hoying against the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
at home on November 30, 1997. McNabb's 55 pass attempts at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
in a come-from-behind 26-23 overtime victory on November 12 were a career high and the fourth-highest total in team history. He was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week after accounting for 90.7% of the offense in a 23–20 victory at Washington on November 26. His 125 rushing yards were the most by an NFL quarterback since the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
' Bobby Douglass
Bobby Douglass
Robert Gilchrist Douglass is a former American football quarterback in the NFL, who played most of his career with the Chicago Bears, who drafted him in the second round of the 1969 NFL Draft. During his career, he also played for the San Diego Chargers, the New Orleans Saints, the Oakland...
(127 on December 17, 1972) and was the sixth-best rushing effort by a quarterback since 1940 when the T formation
T formation
In American football, a T formation is a formation used by the offensive team in which three running backs line up in a row about five yards behind the quarterback, forming the shape of a "T"....
was introduced. He threw for a career-high 390 passing yards and four touchdowns in a 35-24 victory at Cleveland
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on December 10 en route to NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. McNabb led the Eagles to their first playoff appearance since 1996, where they defeated the favored Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
21–3 before losing to the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
20–10.
McNabb was selected as a first alternate to the NFC
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
squad in 2000 (behind Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Rachard Culpepper is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He last played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League . Prior to joining the UFL, Culpepper enjoyed a successful National Football League career after being drafted 11th overall in...
, Jeff Garcia
Jeff Garcia
Jeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
, and Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner
Kurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...
). When Warner was unable to participate due to injury, McNabb took his spot and led the NFC on a touchdown scoring drive in his first series. He accounted for 74.6% of the team's total net yards in 2000. Only Carolina's
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
Steve Beuerlein
Steve Beuerlein
Stephen Taylor "Steve" Beuerlein is a former football quarterback, and currently is an NFL and college football analyst for CBS.-Education:...
(75.3%) and San Francisco's
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
Garcia (75.1%) had a higher percentage. His 629 rushing yards in 2000 were the highest among NFL quarterbacks and, at the time, the fourth-highest total ever (968 by Bobby Douglass in 1972; 942 by Randall Cunningham
Randall Cunningham
Randall W. Cunningham is a former American football quarterback.After playing college football at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he was selected in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, with whom he remained through the 1995 season...
in 1990; and 674 by Steve McNair
Steve McNair
Stephen LaTreal McNair was an American football quarterback who spent the majority of his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans....
in 1997. Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
has since eclipsed that total three times). His six rushing touchdowns in 2000 were the most by an Eagles quarterback since Randall Cunningham, who also had six in 1988. McNabb broke the club's single season record for most attempts (569) and completions (330) in 2000, marks previously set by Cunningham (560 and 301 respectively) in 1988. He was named 2000 NFL Player of the Year by CBS Radio and the Terry (Bradshaw) Awards on Fox Sports and was named to the All-Madden team.
McNabb led the Eagles in fourth-quarter comebacks in two wins vs. the Giants in 2001
2001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
. At the Meadowlands on October 22, his 18-yard pass to James Thrash
James Thrash
James Thrash is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 1997. He played college football at Missouri Southern State....
with 1:52 remaining gave the Eagles a 10-9 victory. He wiped out a 21-14 deficit on December 30, engineering two fourth-quarter scores as the Eagles clinched the NFC East title with a 24-21 over archrival New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. His eight career playoff touchdowns trails only Ron Jaworski
Ron Jaworski
Ronald Vincent "Ron" Jaworski is a former American football quarterback and currently an NFL analyst on ESPN. He is also CEO of Ron Jaworski Golf Management, Inc., based out of Blackwood, New Jersey, and manages golf courses in southern New Jersey, northeast Pennsylvania, and West Virginia...
(9). He was named NFL Offensive Player of the Week after the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Chicago on January 19, 2002, completing 26-of-40 for 262 yards and two touchdowns passing and adding 37 yards and a touchdown on the ground, which was also the final touchdown at the old Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
. He became only the fourth quarterback in Eagles history to pass for 3,000 yards in consecutive seasons - Sonny Jurgensen
Sonny Jurgensen
Christian Adolph "Sonny" Jurgensen III is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983....
(1961–62), Ron Jaworski (1980–81), and Randall Cunningham (1988–90) were the others. McNabb's Eagles advanced to the NFC championship game for the first time since 1980, losing to the heavily favored St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
.
McNabb earned his second trip to the Pro Bowl (was originally elected as an alternate) following the 2001 season after combining for 3,715 yards of total offense and establishing career highs in touchdown passes (25) and quarterback rating (84.3). Including playoffs, he threw touchdown passes in 15 of 18 games and two-or-more in 12 of those games. He was named by his teammates as the club's offensive MVP in 2000 and 2001. During the off-season, McNabb signed a new contract with the Eagles worth $115 million over 12 years, with a $20.5 million signing bonus.
In week 11 of the 2002 season
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
, McNabb suffered a broken ankle. On the third play of the game against the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, he was sacked by the Cardinals' Adrian Wilson and LeVar Woods. He fumbled the ball, fell to the ground, and held his right leg. He went to the locker room to have his ankle taped, but returned for the Eagles' second drive. His injury was reported to be a sprained ankle, but X-rays after the game revealed that McNabb had broken his fibula in three places. During the game, however, he was 20-of-25 passing, with 255 yards and four touchdowns. McNabb was out for the last six weeks of the regular season. A dominant defense helped A. J. Feeley and Koy Detmer
Koy Detmer
Koy Dennis Detmer is a retired American football quarterback. He was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the seventh round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Colorado. He is the younger brother of former NFL quarterback Ty Detmer, and son of coach Sonny...
go a combined 5-1 to finish the season. McNabb returned to face the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the playoffs, but he recovered slowly. The Eagles defeated the Falcons 20–6, but were upset at home by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
27–10 in the NFC championship game.
In late September 2003, McNabb was the subject of very controversial comments made by Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
, who worked as a commentator for ESPN at the time, stating that McNabb was overrated and that, "I think what we’ve had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well". The comments came after the Eagles began the season 0–2, losing to defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers and eventual champion New England
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, both losses coming in their newly opened stadium, Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field is the home stadium of the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles. It has a seating capacity of 68,532 . It is located in South Philadelphia on Pattison Avenue between 11th and 10th streets, also aside I-95 as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
. There had been much discussion about the merit of these comments, which resulted in Limbaugh's resignation from ESPN. Football writer Allen Barra argued that Limbaugh's comments were in line with McNabb's statistical performance at the time.
Despite the slow beginning in the 2003 season
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
, McNabb again led his team to the NFC Championship game. Although the slow start hindered his overall statistics for 2003, McNabb had the highest quarterback rating (97.5) in the NFL for the second half of the season and also completed over 62% of his passes for over eight yards per attempt. With Philadelphia's 14–3 home loss to the underdog Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
in the 2003 NFC championship game, McNabb became the first NFL quarterback since Danny White
Danny White
Wilford Daniel "Danny" White is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys, an American football coach in the Arena Football League and also occasionally appears as an analyst on broadcasts of college football games. He was named the head coach of the Arena Football League expansion...
of the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
(1980–1982) to lead a team to three consecutive defeats in conference title games, prompting some observers to conclude that McNabb "chokes
Choke (sports)
In sports, a "choke" is the failure of an athlete or an athletic team to win a game or tournament when the player or team had been strongly favored to win or had squandered a large lead in the late stages of the event...
" in big games (his cumulative passer rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
in the three conference championship games was 50.5 - a figure that is approximately 10 points lower than what the worst quarterback in the league earns over the course of a typical year). McNabb was knocked out of the NFC title game after being hit on the ground by Panthers' linebacker Will Witherspoon
Will Witherspoon
-Carolina Panthers:Witherspoon was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft. Witherspoon was the latest addition to new coach John Fox's overhaul of the defense, and Witherspoon's versatility at linebacker helped the Panthers total the second-best defense in the...
after he had been tripped up on a broken play.
McNabb's defenders, however, argue that Philadelphia had the worst contingent of wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
s in the NFL throughout McNabb's tenure with the team up to that point, and perhaps in modern professional football history. In 2003, for example, Philadelphia's wide receivers caught only five touchdown passes - tying the record for fewest in a season since the regular-season schedule was lengthened to its present 16 games in 1978 and that, by going the entire months of September and October without having a wide receiver catch a touchdown pass, the 2003 Eagles became the first NFL team since 1945 not to have gotten a touchdown pass from any of its wide receivers in the first two months of a season.
2004: Super Bowl XXXIX
McNabb finally amassed the kind of numbers that placed him firmly as one of the elite NFL quarterbacks statistically. He averaged 8.26 yards per attempt, completed 64.0 percent of his passes, threw 31 touchdown passes (he also ran for three more), and only eight interceptions. These numbers translated to a passer ratingPasser rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
of 104.7. Furthermore, he became the first quarterback in league history to throw over 30 touchdowns and fewer than 10 interceptions in a single season. This dramatic improvement coincided with a massive upgrading of the Eagles' receiving corps, namely the arrival of Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Owens has been one of the dominant receivers of his era...
, who caught 14 touchdowns. As a result, the Eagles won their first seven games of the season for the first time in franchise history, clinched first place in their division with five weeks still to play in the regular season (becoming only the third team in modern NFL history to do this) and won the NFC's Eastern Division by a record-tying seven-game margin in posting a 13-3 record, the franchise's best 16-game season ever.
McNabb's finest moment of the season and of his career came that year in a week 13 game with fellow Super Bowl contenders the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
. After starting the game completing his first 14 passes (an NFL record), he led the Eagles to a 47-17 blowout victory. McNabb passed for an Eagles record 464 yards and 5 touchdowns, which all came in the first half. In 2010, it was ranked #1 by Eagles fans as the 'game of the decade.'
In the playoffs, McNabb led the Eagles to their second Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
trip ever, with victories over the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
27-14 and Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
27-10. Owens was not in the lineup during the two playoff victories, and was recovering from a broken ankle. McNabb became only the third African-American quarterback to start in a Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
after Doug Williams
Doug Williams (football player)
Douglas Lee "Doug" Williams is a former American football quarterback and head football coach of the Grambling State University Tigers...
in the 1987 season and Steve McNair
Steve McNair
Stephen LaTreal McNair was an American football quarterback who spent the majority of his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans....
in 1999.
McNabb led his team against the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
in Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
. McNabb struggled at times, throwing three crucial interceptions. Two of these were thrown in New England territory, and one of those two was inside the twenty-yard line. The final interception was during a last-gasp Hail Mary
Hail Mary pass
A Hail Mary pass or Hail Mary route in American football refers to any very long forward pass made in desperation with only a small chance of success, especially at or near the end of a half....
at the end of the game. He was also sacked four times. Controversy surrounded the end of the game, as center Hank Fraley
Hank Fraley
Henry "Hank" F. Fraley is an American football offensive lineman who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2000. He played college football at Robert Morris.Fraley has also played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns, and St...
claimed that McNabb was seriously ill. Wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Freddie Mitchell
Freddie Mitchell
Freddie Lee Mitchell, Jr. is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football League for four seasons. A four-sport athlete at Kathleen High School, Mitchell committed to the University of California, Los Angeles to play football for the Bruins...
claimed that he had to call a few plays due to McNabb's illness. However, in an interview with NBC, McNabb said he was not sick and did not throw up. He just said he was tired. Some reports claim that McNabb had the wind knocked out of him by an earlier hit while others assert that he was unduly fatigued (interestingly, McNabb also suffered from a bout of nausea at the conclusion of a 2002 regular-season game played at Alltel Stadium, where Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
was contested). An article written by a staff member of the Philadelphia Inquirer refuted allegations of McNabb throwing up during the Super Bowl and even labeled the alleged incident "a myth". Both head coach Andy Reid
Andy Reid
Andrew Walter "Andy" Reid is the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL, a post he has held since 1999. Since 2001, he has also been the team's executive vice president of football operations...
and McNabb have denied any physical problems that led to the puzzlingly slow pace of play, but they did not address mental problems. McNabb finished the game with 30 completions for 357 yards, the third highest total for both categories in Super Bowl history, and three touchdowns. The Eagles lost 24–21.
2005–07: Injuries and criticism
McNabb's 2005 season2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
began with turmoil and ended on the injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
list. Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Owens has been one of the dominant receivers of his era...
had called out McNabb repeatedly since the Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
loss and refused to speak with McNabb. Despite not speaking with his main target and all the distractions that came with the Owens controversy, McNabb managed to be named the NFC's Player of the Month
Player of the Month
The Player of the Month Award is a Major League Baseball award named by each league every month of the regular season. The National League started recognizing the award on June 4, 1958. National League president Warren Giles conducted a poll of baseball writers in each Major League city and...
for September. That month, McNabb threw for 964 yards, eight touchdowns and only two interceptions in three games, leading the Eagles to a 2-1 record. McNabb carried that momentum into October as he went 33-for-48 (68.8 completion percentage), threw for 369 yards and three touchdowns en route to leading the Eagles to a memorable come-from-behind victory at an unfriendly Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
against the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
. McNabb could not keep the momentum rolling, however, as the Eagles lost four straight games. Over that span, McNabb posted a quarterback rating higher than 72 only once, on November 6, at the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. After playing with a sports hernia and sore thumb, McNabb's season was finally over after a disastrous effort at home on November 14 on Monday night against the rival Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. McNabb was intercepted by Roy Williams
Roy Williams (safety)
Roy Lee Williams is a retired American football safety. He played college football at Oklahoma before he was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys eighth overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He spent seven seasons with the Cowboys and earned five straight Pro Bowl selections from 2003–2007...
towards the end of the game, and tried to tackle the defender when Scott Shanle
Scott Shanle
-St. Louis Rams:Shanle made his NFL debut against the New York Giants on September 7, 2003. He also saw special teams action in six games for St. Louis. He was waived by the Rams on December 9, 2003.-Dallas Cowboys:...
came in and tackled McNabb to the ground. McNabb had injured his groin on the play and was placed on the injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
list later that week. Mike McMahon replaced him at quarterback, and went 2–5 as a starter, with the Eagles finishing the season with a 6–10 record overall. Though low for his standards, McNabb put up respectable numbers in 2005. In nine games, he threw for 2,507 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions. To go along with that, he completed 59.1% (211-357) of his passes. Prior to his season-ending injury, McNabb was on pace to throw for 4,457 yards, which would have easily eclipsed his career high of 3,875, set in 2004.
McNabb and the Eagles began the 2006 season
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
at 5-4 heading into a week 11 game with Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
on November 19. At that point, McNabb had been having an up-and-down season. His weekly passing ratings ranged from a lofty 113 all the way down to 65. Overall, the team was struggling. During the game, McNabb tore the anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
(ACL) and meniscus in his right knee while jumping out of bounds, ending his season, the third time in five years McNabb had gone down with six or more games remaining in the regular season. Eagles officials stated that his rehabilitation would likely last eight to twelve months, which completely ended his 2006 season and even raised questions as to whether he would be ready to begin playing by the beginning of the 2007 season. In the meantime, veteran backup quarterback Jeff Garcia
Jeff Garcia
Jeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
took McNabb's place as the Eagles' starting quarterback. Garcia had success, leading the Eagles from 5-5 after the Tennessee game to 10-6 and winners of the NFC East Division. The Eagles went on to win their home playoff game in the Wild Card round of the playoffs against the New York Giants
2006 New York Giants season
The 2006 New York Giants season began with the team trying to improve on their 11–5 record in 2005, which saw them win the NFC East. They did not win the NFC East or improve on that record, falling to 8-8 on the season after starting 6-2...
, 23-20, with Garcia under center. However, in the following divisional round they were beaten by the New Orleans Saints
2006 New Orleans Saints season
The 2006 New Orleans Saints season began with the team trying to improve on their 3-13 record in 2005. All of the team's 2006 regular season home games were played in the Louisiana Superdome, which had been damaged all of the previous season by Hurricane Katrina...
in the Superdome
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
, 27-24.
Having played nearly up to full speed in the preseason games, it was decided that McNabb would return to the field several months short of the full year-long recovery expected of an ACL injury. In the season-opener at Green Bay
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, the Eagles and McNabb suffered a 16-13 loss. McNabb had his share of problems, completing less than half of his passes for 184 yards and one touchdown. The Eagles lost their first home game of the season to the rival Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, 20-12, though his numbers improved. As week 3 approached, skeptics had already wondered whether McNabb still had his skill that propelled him to success in the past. The Eagles defeated the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
in a 56-21 win in week 3. McNabb completed 21 out of his 26 attempted passes for 381 yards. Four of those passes went for touchdowns (three of them went to Kevin Curtis
Kevin Curtis
-St. Louis Rams:Curtis was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the 3rd round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Curtis was inactive for the first five games of 2003 after suffering a broken fibula in the final preseason game at Buffalo. In 2004, Curtis played in all but one game, totaling 32 catches for 421...
). His brilliant performance against the Lions was highlighted by his first perfect (158.3) quarterback rating game. However, week 4 did not prove to be as good as the Eagles thought it would be. The Eagles endured yet another loss, this time to the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The Giants' defense, led by defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
Osi Umenyiora
Osi Umenyiora
-2003:Umenyiora was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the New York Giants out of Troy State University, now Troy University. He was number 72. As a rookie in 2003, he played in 13 games with one start.-2005:...
, sacked McNabb a record-tying 12 times. McNabb completed 15 out of 31 attempted passes for 138 yards and no touchdowns. In the week 6 game against the Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, McNabb completed 22 out of 36 attempted passes for 278 yards total. McNabb also had a touchdown pass to Curtis, plus one interception. With the help of placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
David Akers
David Akers
David Roy Akers is a left footed American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 1997. He played college football at Louisville....
, the Eagles went on to win, 16–9. McNabb had stated before the Dallas Cowboys game that the NFC East title went through Philadelphia, so Dallas responded with a 38-17 win on Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color...
. Against the Redskins, McNabb completed a high percentage of passes and ended with a quarterback rating of 138.5 in a tough win. In the week 11 game against the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, McNabb sprained his ankle and injured his right (throwing side) thumb. As a result, McNabb had been ruled out for the game against the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, and was replaced by A. J. Feeley, who, although gave a valiant effort through two games, came up short. Feeley threw seven interceptions in two games (four coming in the opening and closing drives of both games). During a win against the Cowboys, sideline reporter Pam Oliver
Pam Oliver
Pamela Donielle "Pam" Oliver is an American sportscaster known for her work on the sidelines for various NBA and NFL games.-Early life:...
reported during the game that McNabb indicated that he did not expect to be back in Philadelphia for the 2008 season. McNabb later indicated that this was not true, and stated that although he believed rookie Kevin Kolb
Kevin Kolb
Kevin Benjamin Kolb is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Houston....
's time would come, he would be an Eagle the next season.
2008: Rebirth
At the conclusion of the 2007 season, McNabb faced criticism for asking for "playmakers" on his yardbarker blog. He did, however, deny he was taking a shot at anyone in particular, saying "We were 8–8. There is room for improvement."McNabb caused another mild stir in camp when he suggested that the Eagles should not have lost a game to any of their NFC East opponents the previous season. He felt that they were just a few plays away from being a playoff team. He even went on to say, "I still put us at the top of the NFC." In week 1 of the 2008 NFL season
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
, McNabb threw for 361 yards (the most of any quarterback that week) and three touchdowns which included a 90-yard toss to Hank Baskett
Hank Baskett
Henry Randall "Hank" Baskett III is a wide receiver who is currently a free agent. Baskett has played for three NFL teams, the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts....
at the end of the second quarter. This performance led to him receiving the FedEx Air Player of the Week
FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week
Every week during the NFL season, six finalists are chosen for the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week award, 3 nominated as the FedEx Air player and 3 nominated as the FedEx Ground player , online at...
award. In week 3 against the Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, McNabb threw his 176th career touchdown, passing Ron Jaworski
Ron Jaworski
Ronald Vincent "Ron" Jaworski is a former American football quarterback and currently an NFL analyst on ESPN. He is also CEO of Ron Jaworski Golf Management, Inc., based out of Blackwood, New Jersey, and manages golf courses in southern New Jersey, northeast Pennsylvania, and West Virginia...
and becoming the Eagles' all-time touchdown pass leader.
McNabb set a career-high with 58 passing attempts (completing 28), and tied a career-high with three interceptions in the NFL's first tie game in six years, when the Eagles played the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
and ended up with a 13-13 tie. McNabb later admitted that he was not aware that an NFL (regular-season) game could end in a tie, leading to controversy because this could have affected game strategy.
After the tie, McNabb struggled in a game against the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
, going 8-of-18 for 54 yards with two interceptions, a fumble and being sacked twice. In the second half, Andy Reid decided to go with Kevin Kolb
Kevin Kolb
Kevin Benjamin Kolb is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Houston....
, who was in his second year in the league. This was McNabb's first time being benched for something other than injury or a meaningless game. In the game, Kolb threw an interception that was returned 108 yards for a touchdown by safety Ed Reed
Ed Reed
Edward Earl Reed Jr. is an American football free safety for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens 24th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
, breaking the record he previously held for longest interception returned for a touchdown.
In the next game against the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on primetime on Thanksgiving, McNabb was able to come back, completing 27-of-39 passes for 260 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions, defeating the Cardinals 48–20.
On December 7, McNabb went 19-for-30 with 191 yards and one touchdown and also rushed for 20 yards in a 20–14 win over the New York Giants.
Despite his up-and-down season, McNabb helped the Eagles reach the playoffs for the seventh time in his nine seasons as a starter. He also set a career-high with 3,916 yards passing and led the Eagles to a franchise-record 416 points. The Eagles defeated the Dallas Cowboys 44–6 in the final week of the regular season to clinch the final playoff berth in the NFC.
In the wild card round, McNabb threw for 300 yards, including a 71-yard touchdown to Brian Westbrook
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft after playing college football at Villanova...
, to lead Philadelphia to a 26–14 win over the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
.
On January 11, 2009, McNabb led the Eagles past the Giants in the divisional round of the playoffs. The Eagles won 23–11 (it was the first ever NFL game to finish with the score of 23-11) and advanced to the NFC Championship game against the Arizona Cardinals, whom they had beaten earlier in the season. In the game, McNabb was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct
Unsportsmanlike conduct
Unsportsmanlike conduct is a foul or offense in many sports that is not necessarily a violation of the respective sport's rules of play, but violates the sport's generally accepted rules of sportsmanship and/or participant conduct...
when, after being tackled into the Giants' sideline after a lengthy run, he picked up the Giants' coaching phone in jest.
On January 18, McNabb and his Eagles were defeated by the Arizona Cardinals 32–25 in the NFC Conference Championship, ending their season. McNabb threw for 375 yards on 47 attempts, with three touchdowns, and one interception off a deflected pass, most of this in the second half after his Eagles only managed 6 points to the Cardinals' 24 in the first half. McNabb also ran for 31 yards on two carries. Despite his excellent second-half performance, McNabb was criticized by the television broadcast commentators and other media sources for accuracy problems during downs and series of consequence.
2009
In the 2009 NFL Draft2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
, the Eagles picked Missouri Tigers
Missouri Tigers football
The Missouri Tigers football team represents the University of Missouri in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team has competed in the North Division of the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996...
star wide receiver Jeremy Maclin
Jeremy Maclin
-2009 NFL Draft:Maclin was considered a top National Football League prospect following his second season, and roommate Sean Weatherspoon hoped to convince Maclin to return for his junior year instead of leaving Missouri for the 2009 NFL Draft. Weatherspoon’s efforts were unsuccessful, and on...
to add to McNabb's receiving corps, with Kevin Curtis
Kevin Curtis
-St. Louis Rams:Curtis was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the 3rd round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Curtis was inactive for the first five games of 2003 after suffering a broken fibula in the final preseason game at Buffalo. In 2004, Curtis played in all but one game, totaling 32 catches for 421...
and DeSean Jackson
DeSean Jackson
Going to the 2008 NFL Draft Jackson was considered one of the top ten wide receivers available in a draft class littered with talented wide outs. The only knock on Jackson was his small frame, being measured at 5'9¾ " and just over 170 pounds. During the pre-draft period, Hall of Fame wide receiver...
.
In the season-opener, McNabb led the Eagles to a 38-10 win over the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
. McNabb completed 10 of his 18 passes for a total of 79 yards and two touchdowns. However, Andy Reid said the following Monday that McNabb broke a rib while rushing for a touchdown in the third quarter. The Eagles were hopeful McNabb would start in the week 2 game against the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
, however he was kept on the sidelines in both week 2 and week 3. Kevin Kolb replaced him, and the Eagles lost to the Saints, but beat the Chiefs the next week. Following the Eagles bye week in week 4, McNabb returned in the week 5 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
completing 16 of his 21 attempts for 264 yards and three touchdowns and being responsible for 210 of the 219 yards that the Eagles offense managed in total in the first half.
McNabb reached 200 career touchdowns and 30,000 career yards passed in a win against the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
on October 26, 2009 with a 45-yard touchdown pass to DeSean Jackson
DeSean Jackson
Going to the 2008 NFL Draft Jackson was considered one of the top ten wide receivers available in a draft class littered with talented wide outs. The only knock on Jackson was his small frame, being measured at 5'9¾ " and just over 170 pounds. During the pre-draft period, Hall of Fame wide receiver...
.
In week 11, McNabb returned to his hometown of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
for a Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color...
matchup against the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. McNabb went 23-for-32, throwing for 244 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception as he led a fourth quarter comeback to win the game 24-20 and keep the Eagles playoff hopes alive as they improved their record to 6-4.
Again, in week 12, the Eagles faced the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
as McNabb led yet another fourth quarter comeback, improving the Eagles to 7-4 with a 27-24 win. McNabb passed 21-for-35 with 260 yards and a touchdown.
In week 13, McNabb led the Eagles to a 34-7 rout of the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, passing for 238 yards and TD and helped reintroduce Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
to the league, allowing him to score a passing and rushing TD. The following week, McNabb led the Eagles to another close victory over the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, passing for 2 TDs and 275 yards in a shootout, leading the Eagles on top 45-38.
In week 15, McNabb secured a playoff bid for the Eagles with a victory over San Francisco, throwing for 306 yards, but also threw two poor passes for interceptions, which raised questions about his accuracy and decision-making.
In week 16, McNabb was able to win yet another close game against the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
led by the return of former Eagle Brian Dawkins
Brian Dawkins
Brian Patrick Dawkins is an American football safety for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
, throwing for 322 yards and 3 touchdowns, in which he put on a strong first half performance and put on a significant lead over Denver, but struggled the second half as Denver was able to tie the game at 27-27. However, McNabb was able to execute a final game-winning drive, finished off with sideline pass and impressive catch by Jeremy Maclin
Jeremy Maclin
-2009 NFL Draft:Maclin was considered a top National Football League prospect following his second season, and roommate Sean Weatherspoon hoped to convince Maclin to return for his junior year instead of leaving Missouri for the 2009 NFL Draft. Weatherspoon’s efforts were unsuccessful, and on...
to set up the game winning field goal, winning the game 30-27 for Philadelphia and improving their record to 11-4.
In the season finale against the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, the Eagles were presented with a golden opportunity to improve their record to 12-4, clinch the NFC East, secure the 2nd seed, and earn a first round bye. However, starting Center Jamaal Jackson
Jamaal Jackson
Jamaal Jackson is an American football offensive lineman for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. He was signed by the Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2003...
went down with a season-ending torn ACL. McNabb found it difficult to adjust to Jackson's replacement Nick Cole
Nick Cole
Nicholas Darnell "Nick" Cole is an American football guard and center who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
and it showed, as he fumbled a snap to take the Eagles out of a scoring drive. He also overthrew DeSean Jackson
DeSean Jackson
Going to the 2008 NFL Draft Jackson was considered one of the top ten wide receivers available in a draft class littered with talented wide outs. The only knock on Jackson was his small frame, being measured at 5'9¾ " and just over 170 pounds. During the pre-draft period, Hall of Fame wide receiver...
on a fly pattern that would have given Philadelphia an early touchdown. The Eagles would lose the season finale in a humiliating blowout of 24-0 to Dallas, ending their 6 game winning streak, giving the division to Dallas and falling to the 6th seed, with a record of 11-5. McNabb was criticized for missing crucial opportunities and was speculated to be on the hot seat in next week's rematch with Dallas in the wild-card round of the post-season.
However, the wild-card rematch with Dallas would prove to be just as disastrous, if not worse. McNabb struggled early on and was unable to get the offense into a rhythm until it was too late. His lone score came in the second half off a meaningless touchdown to DeSean Jackson
DeSean Jackson
Going to the 2008 NFL Draft Jackson was considered one of the top ten wide receivers available in a draft class littered with talented wide outs. The only knock on Jackson was his small frame, being measured at 5'9¾ " and just over 170 pounds. During the pre-draft period, Hall of Fame wide receiver...
. Philadelphia would fall 34-14 to Dallas, marking the first time McNabb had ever lost a first-round playoff game. Despite there being many factors in Philadelphia's loss, such as the horrible play of the defense, lack of sufficient protection along the offensive line, and costly turnovers by Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
and Leonard Weaver, McNabb was heavily criticized for the loss for failure to rally the team early and holding onto the ball for too long. Despite having had arguably one of his best seasons statistically in 2009, McNabb began to face criticism and speculation about his future with the Eagles. Many also criticized a scene of him emerging from the Cowboys stadium tunnel, dancing and playing air-guitar and concluded that he was not a serious leader and contender and called for his replacement by the seemingly more serious Kevin Kolb
Kevin Kolb
Kevin Benjamin Kolb is an American football quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Houston....
.
2010
In the press conference following the Eagles' loss to Dallas, and even up to April 1, Andy ReidAndy Reid
Andrew Walter "Andy" Reid is the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL, a post he has held since 1999. Since 2001, he has also been the team's executive vice president of football operations...
stated that McNabb would remain the starting quarterback in Philadelphia for the 2010 season. However, on April 4, the Eagles traded McNabb to the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
in return for a second-round (37th overall) pick in the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
and a conditional third- or fourth-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
.
In the first week of the 2010 season, McNabb and head coach Mike Shanahan
Mike Shanahan
Michael Edward "Mike" Shanahan is the 28th and current head coach of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Shanahan also holds the title of Vice President of Football Operations with the Redskins, giving him full control over player personnel with the team. Shanahan previously...
led the Redskins to victory over the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. In week 2, McNabb nearly engineered a victory over the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, passing for 426 yards (second most of his career), but came up just short of a victory when the Texans prevailed 30-27 in overtime. In week 4, on October 3, McNabb played against the Eagles for the first time, returning with the Redskins to Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field is the home stadium of the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles. It has a seating capacity of 68,532 . It is located in South Philadelphia on Pattison Avenue between 11th and 10th streets, also aside I-95 as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
in Philadelphia. Although McNabb posted only pedestrian statistics, the Redskins won 17-12. During pre-game introductions, McNabb received a standing ovation from Eagles fans, then hugged former coach Andy Reid
Andy Reid
Andrew Walter "Andy" Reid is the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL, a post he has held since 1999. Since 2001, he has also been the team's executive vice president of football operations...
at their post-game handshake.
In week 5, McNabb struggled for the first three quarters, but rallied the Redskins to a 16-13 overtime victory against the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
at FedEx Field. He was 26-49 for 357 yards with one touchdown and one interception. In week 6, McNabb was 29-45 for 246 yards. He threw one touchdown and was intercepted twice, with the second interception coming on fourth down in the last minute of the fourth quarter against the visiting Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
. The Redskins fell to the Colts 27-24. McNabb's passer rating was 67.5.
In week 8, the Redskins played against the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. When the Redskins were losing 30-25 in the fourth quarter with 3:12 left, Shanahan benched McNabb for the two-minute drill in favor of backup quarterback Rex Grossman
Rex Grossman
Rex Daniel Grossman, III is an American football quarterback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League . Grossman played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he has played professionally for the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans and Washington Redskins of...
. On his first play Grossman fumbled the ball, which was recovered for a touchdown by Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh
Ndamukong Suh
Ndamukong Suh is an American football defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Lions 2nd overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Nebraska....
, sealing the Lions' victory of 37-25. Shanahan stated in a press conference that McNabb would remain the Redskins' starting quarterback. On November 15, 2010 McNabb signed a five-year extension worth $78 million ($3.5 million guaranteed) with a chance to make it $88 million by completing incentives. If McNabb is not cut by the completion of the 2010 season the Redskins will owe Mcnabb a $10 million bonus. The same day his Redskins suffered an embarrassing 59-28 defeat by his former team, the Eagles, at home on Monday Night Football. On December 17, 2010, head coach Mike Shanahan relegated McNabb to the 3rd quarterback position for the rest of this season, stating that he wanted to evaluate backup Rex Grossman in game play.
McNabb had perhaps one of his worst years of his career since 1999, going down in touchdowns and up in interceptions. However, at the time McNabb was demoted to third string, he was on pace to total 4,156 passing yards for the season, which would have broken the Redskins' all-time franchise record, and been the first time he had exceeded the 4,000 yard mark in his career.
2011
On July 27, 2011 the Washington Redskins and the Minnesota VikingsMinnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
came to an agreement on terms for a trade. After restructuring his contract, Washington traded McNabb to Minnesota in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick in 2012 and a conditional sixth-round draft pick in 2013. McNabb had been rumored as a possible addition to the Vikings for the past three years, in part due to his relationship with then-coach Brad Childress
Brad Childress
Brad "Chilly" Childress is the former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He attended high school at the Marmion Academy in Aurora, Illinois...
, the former Eagles Offensive Coordinator. Vikings punter Chris Kluwe
Chris Kluwe
Christopher James "Chris" Kluwe is a punter for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Seattle Seahawks, as an undrafted free agent in 2005...
agreed to give McNabb his no. 5 jersey, in exchange for a $5,000 donation to Kick for a Cure, McNabb to promote Kluwe's band "Tripping Icarus" during a press conference, and an ice cream cone. On October 18, it was announced that McNabb would no longer be the starting quarterback for the Vikings as the job was given to rookie Christian Ponder
Christian Ponder
Christian Ponder is an American football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Vikings with the twelfth overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, and signed with them on July 31, 2011, shortly after the 2011 NFL lockout ended...
for the remainder of the season. On December 1, 2011, he was released upon request.
NFL year-by-year statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Games Started | Attempts | Completions | Completion % | Yards | Yards/Attempt | Touchdowns | Interceptions | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | PHI | 12 | 6 | 216 | 106 | 49.1 | 948 | 4.9 | 8 | 7 | 60.1 |
| 2000 | PHI | 16 | 16 | 569 | 330 | 58.0 | 3,365 | 5.91 | 21 | 13 | 77.8 |
| 2001 | PHI | 16 | 16 | 493 | 285 | 57.8 | 3,233 | 6.56 | 25 | 12 | 84.3 |
| 2002 | PHI | 10 | 10 | 361 | 211 | 58.4 | 2,289 | 6.34 | 17 | 6 | 86.0 |
| 2003 | PHI | 16 | 16 | 478 | 275 | 57.5 | 3,216 | 6.73 | 16 | 11 | 79.6 |
| 2004 | PHI | 15 | 15 | 469 | 300 | 64.0 | 3,875 | 8.26 | 31 | 8 | 104.7 |
| 2005 | PHI | 9 | 9 | 357 | 211 | 59.1 | 2,507 | 7.00 | 16 | 9 | 85.0 |
| 2006 | PHI | 10 | 10 | 316 | 180 | 57.0 | 2,647 | 8.36 | 18 | 6 | 95.5 |
| 2007 | PHI | 14 | 14 | 473 | 291 | 61.5 | 3,324 | 7.00 | 19 | 7 | 89.9 |
| 2008 | PHI | 16 | 16 | 571 | 345 | 60.4 | 3,916 | 6.90 | 23 | 11 | 86.4 |
| 2009 | PHI | 14 | 14 | 443 | 267 | 60.3 | 3,553 | 8.00 | 22 | 10 | 92.9 |
| 2010 | WAS | 12 | 12 | 437 | 253 | 57.9 | 3,377 | 7.2 | 14 | 15 | 77.1 |
| Totals | 154 | 148 | 5,054 | 2,977 | 58.9 | 35,139 | 7.0 | 225 | 111 | 85.8 | |
| Playoffs | 12 | 12 | 419 | 249 | 59.4 | 2,630 | 6.26 | 18 | 12 | 80.1 |
McNabb has totaled 3,341 yards on 587 carries and 28 touchdowns rushing in his career, along with 362 yards on 63 attempts and three touchdowns in the playoffs.
McNabb holds the record for most consecutive pass attempts completed with 24 over two games in 2004 against the New York Giants (his final 10 passes on November 28, 2004) and Green Bay Packers (his first 14 passes on December 5, 2004). Mark Brunell
Mark Brunell
Mark Allen Brunell is an American football quarterback who currently plays for the New York Jets. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington....
and David Carr
David Carr
David Duke Carr is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Houston Texans first overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
hold the record for most consecutive completed passes in a single game with 22. McNabb also completed 25 consecutive passes against the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on October 23, 2005, but this record is not counted by the NFL as it included a spiking of the ball to stop the clock at the end of the half. The 2005 game was also noteworthy for Coach Reid calling for McNabb to have 25 pass attempts in a row, without interruption by a running play.
Through the 2010-11 NFL season, McNabb ranks fourth best all-time in career interception percentage (2.20%) among NFL quarterbacks. Among quarterbacks with at least 1,500 pass attempts, only Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Charles Rodgers is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . Rodgers was selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Packers...
(1.99%), Neil O'Donnell
Neil O'Donnell
Neil Kennedy O'Donnell is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for 14 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, and Tennessee Titans...
(2.11%), and Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
(2.19%) have a lower career interception percentage than McNabb.
NFL records
- Most consecutive pass completions, 24; vs New York GiantsNew York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Nov. 28, 2004; vs Green Bay PackersGreen Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, Dec. 5, 2004 - First NFL Quarterback ever to throw for more than 30 touchdowns and fewer than 10 interceptions (2004)
Eagles records
- Most Career Attempts (4,303)
- Most Pass Completions (2534)
- Most Passing Yards (29,320)
- Most Passing Touchdowns (203)
- Most Single-Season Completions (345, 2008 season)
- Most Single-Season Yards (3,916, 2008 season)
- Most NFC Championship Appearances (5)
Personal
McNabb and his college sweetheart, Raquel Ann Sarah "Roxie" Nurse, were married in June 2003. They have four children: daughter Alexis, who was born in 2004, twins Sariah and Donovan Jr. who were born in 2008 and Devin James who was born in 2009. The family splits its time between homes in Moorestown Township, New JerseyMoorestown Township, New Jersey
-Demographics:At the 2000 census, there were 19,017 people, 6,971 households, and 5,270 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,287.3 per square mile . There were 7,211 housing units at an average density of 488.1 per square mile...
, an affluent suburb of Philadelphia, and Chandler, Arizona
Chandler, Arizona
-Demographics:As of the Census of 2010, there were 236,123 people, 86,924 households, and 60,212 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 73.3% White, 4.8% Black or African American, 1.5% Native American, 8.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 21.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 8.3%...
.
In 2002, McNabb, who holds a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in speech communication from Syracuse University, was named to the institution's Board of Trustees; he is one of the youngest trustees to have served there. It is stated on his website that he plans to use his speech communication degree when his playing days are over to become a broadcaster.
McNabb's parents, Sam and Wilma McNabb, have gained fame appearing as themselves in a series of Campbell's Chunky Soup commercials. Actress Marcella Lowery
Marcella Lowery
Marcella Lowery is an American actress. She was on the television series Ghostwriter, as Jamal Jenkins's grandmother CeCe from 1992 to 1995, and played Miss Noble, the principal on City Guys from the TNBC lineup....
has played McNabb's mother on occasion. Wilma is also a vice president of the NFL Mothers' Association and the executive director of the Donovan McNabb Foundation, and runs McNabb Unlimited, which oversees Donovan's endorsements.
McNabb also played basketball at Syracuse University as a reserve guard. In the 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1996 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 14, 1996, and ended with the championship game on April 1 at Continental Airlines Arena in...
national championship game against the University of Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky Wildcats
The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky , a founding member of the Southeastern Conference...
, McNabb played against his former high school teammate Antoine Walker
Antoine Walker
Antoine Devon Walker is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League...
.
See also
- List of NFL Quarterbacks who have passed for 400 or more yards
- List of NFL quarterbacks who have posted a perfect passer rating
- List of 300-Yard Passing Games by NFL Quarterbacks