NFL: What the McWristband Rumor Means for the Redskins Franchise (Possibly)

There's been a growing rumor out of Washington today that during the 2010 season, Donovan McNabb refused a request from Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan to wear a wristband to remember plays better. The rumor originated from the Sports Junkies on 106.7 The Fan, citing multiple undisclosed sources.

Apparently, McNabb thought that wearing the wristband would tarnish his image and that was the reason for his refusal. Nobody knows when during the season this took place, but the story gets even better. According to the Junkies, a postseason meeting was held with owner Dan Snyder, Shanahan, GM Bruce Allen and Fletcher Smith (McNabb's agent) to discuss McNabb's future. During that meeting, Shanahan conveyed to Snyder that McNabb was unwilling to wear the wristband, and Snyder became furious with the head coach.

Again, this is all alleged at this point, but the Junkies have let out good inside information like this in the past, and their sources are apparently solid. Later, further allegations dovetailed this bizarre story on the same radio station. On the Mike Wise Show,  a rumor was put out that Snyder was indeed the architect of the McNabb trade, which involved sending multiple draft picks to Philadelphia.

Then, on the Lavar Arrington Show with Chad Dukes, an alleged family member of a Redskins player called in and stated that he was told that during the 2010 season, McNabb would often enter the huddle and not know what he was supposed to do for a specific play; instead, other players had to explain the play to McNabb.

On a competing radio station, ESPN 980, the original wristband rumor was posed to Redskins beat reporter Chris Russell, who was not directly informed of any such story. However, Russell wasn't surprised by this story at all, stating that it was consistent with what his sources were telling him throughout the 2010 season—that McNabb often struggled to understand Mike and Kyle Shanahan's offensive scheme.

If these rumors are true, they not only shed light on the drama last season that led Shanahan to bench McNabb—twice—in favor of Rex Grossman, but it may also explain why the McNabb deal more closely resembled the former Cerrato-Snyder era of bringing in high-profile players that are past their prime.

Although the NFL labor dispute has prevented normal offseason activities such as FA signings, the Redskins draft this year included more draft picks than any other team, a move that many believe is an indicator that Washington is heading in a new direction by rebuilding the roster with youth. The most concerning aspect of these rumors is that it completely thrashes Redskins fans' hopes that Snyder was done meddling in player personnel decisions. Perhaps Shanahan had conceded on the McNabb trade as Snyder's last attempt in a series of failed attempts to reform the roster.