Just two weeks after being benched, Donovan McNabb signed a five-year, $78 million, deal with the Washington Redskins.
Six-time Pro Bowler given bumper new deal despite benching
Just two weeks after being benched with the game on the line, Donovan McNabb signed a five-year, $78 million, deal with the Washington Redskins, although his celebrations were ruined by former team Philadelphia.
McNabb spent 11 seasons with the Eagles before being traded to divisional rivals Washington during the off-season, and although he has had mixed fortunes in the capital both parties are keen to extend the relationship.
The Redskins had hoped that the announcement, made just hours before Monday night's game with Philadelphia, would have a galvanising effect on the team, but it did not help one bit as they were destroyed 59-28 by McNabb's old team-mates.
Despite the result, the Redskins are keen to press on with McNabb at the helm, and signed him to a five-year deal despite him about to turn 34.
"We're pleased with the leadership that he brings and we believe he can help us win." said Redskins general manager Bruce Allen. "It's really something we've known we were going to do for some time.
Bye week
"Once the regular season started, we really were aiming toward the bye week, and it came together. Coach and myself said that Donovan's going to be here from the beginning and Donovan has been real clear in his intent of being a Redskin."
McNabb has the pedigree, leading the Eagles to five NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl, while also appearing in six Pro Bowls, but his benching a fortnight ago put his Washington future in serious doubt.
Head coach Mike Shanahan benched him inside the final two minutes in favour of the hapless Rex Grossman, and then gave different reasons for his actions including doubting McNabb's fitness and familiarity with the playbook - both of which have been denied by McNabb.
That all now seems to be water under the bridge, with the team handing McNabb $40 million in guaranteed money with his new contract, although his agent Fletcher Smith admits that the timing would seem strange to outsiders given his recent benching.
"This would have made perfect sense," Smith said. "But for what happened a couple of weeks ago. The last two minutes of the game, that's really where you earn your money. It didn't make sense to me."
Still interested
However, Allen quickly informed Smith that the team still wanted to do a deal, and now McNabb can focus purely on football for the rest of the season.
"They reached out and assured him it hadn't changed," Smith added. "They still loved him, and we had to move on from there.
"Now he doesn't have to focus or concentrate on what next year will bring. He knows he's going to be a Redskin; now he can focus on playing football.
"We've been working on this for a while now, and we're obviously glad to get it done. Donovan's very happy about the situation because this is where he wanted to be all along."
McNabb will hope to improve now he is getting over some hamstring trouble and his contract issues are behind him, and he needs to given that after eight games this season he had his worst passer rating since his rookie year in 1999.
