Donovan McNabb Is the NFL Version of Allen Iverson

Any veteran of a professional sport will tell you that stepping away from the game is the hardest part.

For Donovan McNabb, the hardest part is getting over the denial that he is still a starting QB in the NFL.

Despite personal claims that McNabb still has a lot of football to play, given his recent two years, it's clear that he doesn't have any high level football to be playing.

McNabb will no doubt garner some interest from teams like Chicago and Houston, but they should temper their expectations.

He's gone from a NFC Championship winning QB to being nothing more than the NFL's version of Allen Iverson.

In his final years, Iverson moved from team to team in search of getting a fresh start after Philadelphia. Instead, AI only found more hardship.

Of course, there's really nobody to blame other than Iverson himself. His refusal to accept a bench role (via Yahoo Sports) likely led to him be ex-communicated from the NBA.

Iverson felt he could still play at a high level, and while at times he showed flashes of his old self, it was clear the years of his hard style of play had caught up with him.

And of course, there's always this to bring back good memories of Iverson's downfall.

Just like Iverson, practice seemed to be an issue for McNabb.

When McNabb was benched, reports came out speculating on why the Vikings were so quick to give up on a guy they traded for in the offseason.

According to Michael Lombardi of NFL Network, McNabb wasn't putting his time in and showing up late to practices and team meetings. Lombardi also couples this with the "wristband saga" (via NBC Sports) that says McNabb refused to wear a wristband to help learn the Redskins plays.

To make matters worse, other than not putting the time in that a starting QB should be, McNabb has been very defensive when it comes to trying to fix his game.

Following the team's loss to the Cardinals, McNabb answered questions about the team working on his throwing mechanics.

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"This whole mechanics thing is getting out of hand....I guess, according to y’all, my whole career I’ve been inaccurate. It’s just making the play when the play needs to be made." (via NBC Sports)

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That probably wasn't the positive response the team was looking for, and no doubt did McNabb little favors in the Vikings locker room and with management.

There's nothing more frustrating to a coach than a self-entitled veteran that refuses to not only accept a lesser role, but attempt to make changes to improve their game.

McNabb, like Iverson, refused to take accountability for their decline in play. McNabb especially did his former teams no favors.

When asked about how he can return to being the kind of player he was with the Eagles, McNabb shuffled the blame to the next guy.

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"Being surrounded by a great supporting cast. When you're surrounded by veteran players, who know how to win, that's something that's contagious." (via Chicago Sun Times)

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McNabb was asked about going 6-13 as a starter the past two years and again placed the blame elsewhere.

"Obviously, the quarterback receives a lot of the credit, but also too much of the criticism," said McNabb.

Although it's true QBs do take too much of the blame for a team's loss, McNabb should know that a team leader accepts that responsibility and thrives under it.

He did his part to sell a prospective team to forget the past two years and focus on the player he was with the Eagles, something a lot of NFL analysts are guilty of doing.

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"You're bringing in a veteran, who can bring experience to your ball club. Athletic ability. A guy who is not a locker room cancer. Works hard. Great work ethic. I'm a winner, and I've proven that. A guy who will try to make the guys around him better." (via Chicago Sun Times)

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I guess McNabb is back to ignoring the rumors of his laziness and hopes some NFL GM's do the same. Or maybe he's a little bit delusional for thinking 6-13 as a starter the past two years makes him a "winner."

The best analysis of the situation is when McNabb saying he will try to make the guys better around him, but that he also wants to play with veteran players who already know how to win.

If they're already veterans who know how to win, they don't need a washed up QB to "make them better."

McNabb needs to realize his future is with helping a younger QB and giving a team some measure of insurance in case there's an injury. If not, I'm sure the CFL will be calling the McNabb house soon.