It’s Time to Ask: Will McNabb Retire After This Season?

Last week’s media coverage of Donovan McNabb’s fall from grace as the Redskins’ quarterback makes it clear that he won’t be in a Redskins uniform next year. But our analysis of statements made by McNabb’s teammates and by his agent indicates that the question that needs to be asked at this point is whether McNabb will return in any NFL uniform next year.

The widespread consensus that McNabb is finished with the Redskins was underscored by coach Mike Shanahan’s comments, reported by the Washington Post and other media outlets on Dec. 18: “I also told [McNabb] that I cannot guarantee him that he will be back next year.”

Asked if hiring McNabb was a mistake, moreover, Shanahan’s response was behaviorally significant: “I think there’s a lot of mistakes that you make,” he said. “You really don’t know if you made a mistake, but if you do make one, you make it and you go on. What I want to do is evaluate where [we are] at the end of the season, then I will tell you if we erred or not.”

Shanahan failed to answer the question, and instead offered several overly-specific comments on how mistakes are handled when and if they are made. Shanahan's response strongly indicates that he personally feels the McNabb hiring was a mistake, however the team needs time to determine a course of action before the question can be addressed directly.

The extreme unlikelihood that McNabb will return with the Redskins next year aside, the question that warrants attention at this point is whether McNabb will play with any team in the NFL next season. If the determining factor is simply a matter of McNabb’s ability to perform, it’s worth noting that some of the people in the best position to assess his ability – his teammates and his agent – have failed to take opportunities presented to them to stand up in support of McNabb in that regard.

Cornerback and defensive co-captain DeAngelo Hall, for example, said this in response to Shanahan’s decision to bench McNabb in favor of backup Rex Grossman:

"[McNabb has] definitely won a lot of games and done a lot of good things in this league. But as sad as it is, this league is a what-have-you-done-lately-for-me league. And he hasn't won a whole lot of games with us, so Coach felt it was kind of time to kinda figure out if Rex is gonna be a guy we keep around here next year or not."

Tight end Chris Cooley, described by the Washington Post as “giddy” when the Redskins signed McNabb, also failed to stick up for McNabb’s playing ability following the benching: "What I can tell you is that we're out of the playoffs, we haven't scored a lot of points in the past few weeks and ... it's a great opportunity for Rex."

Meanwhile, McNabb’s agent, Fletcher Smith, opted to say nothing about his client’s performance or the talent McNabb brings to the playing field when he chose his words in response to Shanahan’s move. Instead, he focused on the lack of respect that the coach had shown towards the quarterback:

"I almost don't even know where to begin, but it really started with Detroit and it was just wrong the way Donovan was treated. Just the way Mike handled the whole situation in Detroit, and in almost every instance since that time, and this is, I guess, the culmination of that. I think it's ... again, it's beyond disrespectful."

Smith’s statement that “I almost don’t even know where to begin” sent an unintended message that likely reflects his feelings about McNabb's ability to overcome the damage that has resulted from his time with the Redskins, and about McNabb’s prospects for next year. In essence, Smith is saying that the situation is beyond repair.

McNabb is clearly well-regarded for his past performance, and for the positive image he presents for professional football – a quality that is all too rare these days. He’s also recognized as a savvy businessman off the field. What isn’t being touted is McNabb’s current and future ability to excel as an NFL quarterback. While we cannot conclude at this point that McNabb will retire after this season due to the deterioration in his performance, our analysis suggests that like so many of his predecessors, McNabb may in fact be in the broadcast booth next year.