Donovan McNabb: Minnesota Vikings Will Be End of the Line

The Donovan McNabb whirlwind tour has taken him to Minnesota thanks to a trade between the Vikings and Redskins that was consummated early Wednesday afternoon. This will be the third team in three years for the six-time Pro Bowl quarterback, but this will be his last chance to prove his worth as a starter in the NFL.

McNabb's career started off in less than stellar fashion. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles with the No. 2 pick in the 1999 draft and was booed out of the building when his name was announced. Fans wanted Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams to be the face of the franchise, so to say that they were unhappy would be an understatement.

But when McNabb was given the chance to start full-time in 2000, he took the reins of this struggling franchise and made them into a powerhouse. Despite having one of the worst groups of receivers in the league from 2000 to 2003, the Eagles made the playoffs every year and advanced to the NFC Championship Game in 2001, 2002 and 2003.

With the Eagles unable to get over the hump, they brought in McNabb's friend Terrell Owens in 2004 and made it to the Super Bowl, which they lost 24-21 to New England, and McNabb was roundly criticized for his lack of urgency late in the game.

That Super Bowl was really the start of McNabb's downfall in Philadelphia. It took another five seasons and no championships before he was moved to Washington. The Eagles wanted to go with Kevin Kolb, whom they had drafted in the second round in 2007, and McNabb became expendable.

The move to Washington in 2010 was seen as a pivotal step, both for McNabb and the Redskins. For McNabb, it was his chance to prove that he was still one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL. For the Redskins, it gave them an upgrade over Jason Campbell, who was traded after McNabb was acquired.

But as the season got underway, you could see that McNabb wasn't the player he used to be. His accuracy, which has never been great, was way off and he couldn't get into any rhythm. He clashed with head coach Mike Shanahan over the way that things were aired out in public.

It became clear late in the season that McNabb's time in Washington was not going to last long. And now here he is with his last shot to prove himself as a viable starting quarterback with Minnesota.

While it's hard to root against McNabb because he has a great personality and always puts a positive on even the most negative situation, the idea that at 34 he can get back to being the player he was even five years ago is really farfetched.

His knees aren't what they once were, which limits his mobility and that used to be such a big part of his game, and his throwing arm isn't as strong as it used to be. He needs a lot of help from his receivers, which doesn't bode well for the Vikings because with Sidney Rice not coming back there isn't a lot of depth at receiver for this team.

In fact, if Christian Ponder develops faster than people think, McNabb could find himself riding the pine before the end of this season, because the Vikings will be anxious to see what they have in their rookie quarterback.

It's hard to imagine McNabb retiring after this season because he will only be 35, but you can see the writing on the wall for him as a starting NFL quarterback. His time is coming to an end whether he wants to admit it or not.