In a stunning and surprising move, the Washington Redskins traded for quarterback
Donovan McNabb late Sunday night. The blockbuster trade between the Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles,
first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter, landed McNabb in Washington in exchange for a second round pick in this upcoming draft and either a third or fourth round pick in the 2011 NFL draft. McNabb, a six-time Pro Bowl quarterback, gets the chance to rescue a franchise that won only four games last year and has been without a reputable team leader for years. What makes the trade unique, aside from the fact that franchise quarterbacks are rarely dealt, is that it happened within the division and between bitter rivals. McNabb, who will be partnered with new coach Mike Shanahan, will get the opportunity to play the Eagles, his former team, twice during the regular season. Of the trade, McNabb stated:
I'm really excited about my future with the Washington Redskins. I'm eager to work with Coach [Mike] Shanahan. He's been a very successful coach with a couple of Super Bowl victories on his resume. While it has been my goal to win a Super Bowl in Philadelphia, we came up short. I enjoyed my 11 years, and know we shared a lot more good times than bad.
Although he made it to the playoffs multiple times, and reached the Super Bowl in 2004, McNabb was never able to deliver a championship to Philadelphia. Eagles chairman Jeffrey Lurie said:
Donovan McNabb was more than a franchise quarterback for this team. He truly embodied all of the attributes of a great quarterback and of a great person. He has been an excellent representative of this organization and the entire National Football League both on and off the field. I look forward to honoring him as one of the greatest Eagles of all-time and hopefully see him enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton one day.
It is yet to be seen if Redskins fans can root for a player who they viciously rooted against for the last decade.
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