NFL

The Vikings Have Released Donovan McNabb. Is He Finished In The NFL?

NFL personnel development of the day: the Vikings are letting Donovan McNabb go. It marks the end of a brief and ultimately unsuccessful partnership – the Vikings are 2-9, and McNabb lost his starting spot to rookie Christian Ponder. And given that the Vikings are the second team to give up on McNabb (granted, he wanted this release) after a short time in less than a year, it’s hard not to wonder: will McNabb get another shot anywhere else? 35 is a pretty early age for a quarterback to be done entirely, but it’s not young, either, and it’s safe to say his career is on its downside.

And yet – has McNabb fallen far enough that no one will give him a look? Hard to imagine. His numbers this year, though they obviously didn’t result in many Vikings victories, are actually better than we expected when we looked at them – he completed 60 percent of his passes and only threw two interceptions. Really, it looks like a slight step up over his numbers with the Redskins last year.

And consider the plight of some teams. The Texans lost Matt Schaub, then lost Matt Leinart (though Chris Mortensen doesn’t see the Texans having interest). Hey, and speaking of losing, the Colts have lost…every game! As you might know, they’ve been down a quarterback all season – could be worth a flyer, no? And Mortensen also points out the Bears, who recently lost a quarterback of their own (and have a playoff spot on the line), could potentially be a factor. McNabb might not be the player he once was, but the NFL is just too desperate for quarterbacks – especially in midseason – to think he’s totally done. He just better make good on one of these chances, and soon.

US Presswire photo (by Brace Hemmelgarn), via