Donovan McNabb Released by Minnesota Vikings

Veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb and the Minnesota Vikings parted ways on Dec. 1 after McNabb asked the club to release him. The 35-year-old now has the chance to sign on with any club for the remainder of the season. Vikings’ head coach Leslie Frazier said releasing the 13-year NFL veteran was the best move for both parties.

McNabb was traded to the Vikings by the Washington Redskins during the summer for a sixth-round draft pick. McNabb started six games and went 1-5 with just four touchdown passes and two interceptions. Rookie Christian Ponder then took over the position and has gone 1-4 since, with the Vikings record at 2-9 overall. Frazier had worked with McNabb before. He was the Philadelphia Eagles defensive backs coach in 1999 when McNabb played with the team as a rookie. Frazier wished McNabb luck and said he hopes he can continue to be a great player for the NFL.

McNabb was replaced by Ponder during a game in Chicago back on Oct. 16^th and has remained there since. He said he’s well rested because of the situation and is looking forward to resuming his career with another club. However, he doesn’t know where he’ll end up or if anybody will take him. He will be placed on waivers before he can sign with another club and it’s possible that the Houston Americans and Chicago Bears are looking for some insurance at quarterback with the Bears’ Jay Cutler out with a broken thumb.

Frazier said McNabb has been a complete professional since the benching and has been a great teacher for Joe Webb and Ponder. He added that McNabb’s shown a lot of class and that’s the way he’s been throughout his career. The Vikings will have the chance to see what Webb and Ponder have learned, but didn’t say if they were going to add another quarterback to their roster.

It’s still possible that McNabb calls it quits if he doesn’t get picked up or signs with anybody. His salary for the season is slightly more than $5 million and if he gets picked up his new team will be on the line for about $1.5 million of that total. McNabb has been selected to the Pro Bowl six times and his interception percentage is the third best in league history.

He spent his first 11 years in the league with the Eagles and started a Super Bowl game with them in 2005, but lost 24-21 to New England. He’s also played in five NFC Championship Games in his career. He was then traded to the Redskins, but also struggled there last season and spent some time on the bench.

McNabb’s time with Minnesota was plagued by his inability to avoid turnovers. He also showed a reluctance to throw deep and the team’s offense simply didn’t click while he was playing. However, they haven’t really improved since Ponder took over the reins.