Donovan McNabb Wants Out of Washington: 10 Teams That Could Use a Quarterback
Donovan McNabb has had enough. After being pulled by head coach Mike Shanahan in the final minutes of a close game against the Detroit Lions for Rex Grossman, and then having to sit on the bench as first the second-string quarterback and now this week the third-string quarterback, McNabb is finally done with being a Washington Redskin.
The 34-year-old quarterback is one of the most accomplished players in the NFL, and it's a wonder why Shanahan and the Redskins don't think McNabb is capable of leading the team.
But that's not McNabb's problem anymore. He just wants a chance to finish out his career for a supportive franchise that will let him be the starting quarterback. The Redskins won't release McNabb, but they will try to trade him. One thing is for sure, however, and that is that McNabb will not be in Washington next season.
So where will he go? Here are 10 teams that could use a quarterback and may make a bid for McNabb's services.
Carolina Panthers
1 of 10
The Panthers own the worst passing offense in the NFL, putting up a paltry 142.3 yards/game. They can thank rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen for that, who on the season has yet to throw for over 200 yards in a single game and has four times as many interceptions (eight) than touchdowns (two).
Unfortunately for Clausen, the Panthers at 2-13 also own the worst record in the NFL and are the favorites to draft Andrew Luck No. 1 overall in the 2011 Draft. But if they decide they'd like to use the draft to fill other team needs, they could make a trade for McNabb and focus resources on the defensive side of the ball.
Seattle Seahawks
2 of 10
Matt Hasselbeck has been the Seahawks' quarterback for 10 seasons now, but it might finally be time for a change in Seattle. Hasselbeck has been declining rapidly and has only thrown 34 touchdowns in the last three seasons combined, to go against 44 interceptions.
Seattle doesn't have anyone to replace the 35-year-old, so McNabb could be a very good fit playing in the most winnable division in football.
Miami Dolphins
3 of 10
Chad Henne is to a franchise quarterback what Plaxico Burress is to an expert marksman. In other words, the Dolphins could do much, much better.
Henne has thrown for 3,230 yards, but he's tossed more interceptions (18) than touchdowns (15). In a division with the Patriots and Jets, that kind of production just isn't going to get it done. Miami has a good defense, so with a better quarterback like McNabb, they could be a playoff team.
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Cincinnati Bengals
4 of 10
Carson Palmer (3,665 yards, 25 touchdowns, 18 interceptions) hasn't been an elite NFL quarterback for a few years now. But seemingly the only team that hasn't realized that yet is the Cincinnati Bengals.
If the Bengals can come around to the fact that the 31-year-old Palmer can't get them any closer to the playoffs than Terrell Owens did, Cincinnati could make a play for McNabb.
Tennessee Titans
5 of 10
The Titans season has been a disaster, and most would blame inconsistent play at the quarterback position. Tennessee has the 29th-ranked passing offense in the NFL, and neither Vince Young nor Kerry Collins have been particularly effective.
Young has had five seasons to develop into the franchise quarterback everyone thought he would be, and he's nowhere closer to getting there. It might be time for a change.
Oakland Raiders
6 of 10
The Raiders thought Jason Campbell (2,232 yards, 12 touchdowns, 8 interceptions) could be their answer at quarterback after the disaster that was JaMarcus Russell. He wasn't.
Now Oakland could turn its attention to another Redskins castoff: Donovan McNabb.
Arizona Cardinals
7 of 10
The Cardinals looked like they were in great shape with Kurt Warner throwing footballs and Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald catching them. But Warner retired, and Boldin was traded, and now the Arizona passing offense is the second-worst in the league (181.3 yards/game).
Derek Anderson (65.9 QB rating) is not the answer. Neither is John Skelton (62.7) or Max Hall (35.7). Could McNabb right the ship in Arizona?
Cleveland Browns
8 of 10
The 30th-ranked passing offense in the NFL traded former first-round pick Brady Quinn and then drafted Colt McCoy to be their franchise quarterback. McCoy has seen limited action and played at least better than incumbent Browns starter Jake Delhomme. But that's still not saying much.
McCoy needs a few years experience if he's going to lead a professional football team. McNabb could speed up the rebuilding process in Cleveland right now, not a few years from now.
San Francisco 49ers
9 of 10
The 49er's have gone through two Smiths this season, first 2005 No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith and then fourth-year quarterback Troy Smith. Neither has been productive in a San Francisco uniform.
The 49ers have some amazing weapons on the offensive side of the ball, between Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis and Frank Gore. McNabb knows what to do with those kinds of weapons. Could he vault San Francisco to the top of the NFC West?
Minnesota Vikings
10 of 10
Assuming Brett Favre won't make another comeback, the Vikings will be in the market for a new franchise quarterback. Tarvaris Jackson (career 76.6 QB rating) is hardly a solution to Minnesota's woes, and it may take too long to develop a rookie quarterback into a viable starter.
The Vikings have one of the NFL's best players in Adrian Peterson, and it'd be a shame to waste Peterson's prime with a series of poor signal-callers. McNabb could help take this team to the next level.
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