Donovan McNabb Gets New Contract

The Philadelphia Eagles announced quarterback Donovan McNabb’s restructured contract last night. The new deal replaces the final two years of his current contract—which was set to expire after the 2010 season—and is reportedly worth $5.3 million more than his previous deal. The guaranteed figures weren’t immediately available.

Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles / Image: Zuma Press

Apparently, the Eagles were negotiating with Donovan on a contract extension, but ended up reworking the final two years to better numbers. The new contract still expires in 2010, though, so there really isn’t any commitment from the team to keep Donovan around longer than that. At 32-years-old, I get that, but the entire league would be hard-pressed to find a better QB.

The team will hold a morning presser today, but head coach Andy Reid had an immediate statement:

“The Philadelphia Eagles organization and the entire city of Philadelphia are fortunate to have a quarterback the caliber of Donovan McNabb. He has proven himself to be a talented player on the field, a caring member of the Philadelphia community, and a winner.”

All of that is true. Donovan McNabb is the face of this organization and one of the classiest guys in the NFL. Not to mention one of its best quarterbacks. And despite his relatively low completion percentage (comparatively speaking—with the rest of the league—at 58.9%), he doesn’t throw many interceptions. In fact, he has the lowest INT percentage in the history of the NFL. Donovan is a five-time Pro Bowler and the Eagles’ all-time leader in passing yards, touchdown passes, attempts, and completions. He also led the team to more regular season victories and playoff appearances than any other quarterback in team history.

Without a Super Bowl ring, I can’t say that Donovan McNabb is one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks. But he is certainly in the upper echelon. And worthy of the raise.

Sources: PhiladelphiaEagles.com, CSNPhilly.com