Did Donovan "Earn" Raise?
Philadelphia Inquirer Sports Columnist Bob Ford writes about the Eagles, the Phillies, the Sixers and the Flyers.
Did Donovan "Earn" Raise?
Bob Ford, Inquirer Sports Columnist
That's what the Eagles said on Friday after giving Donovan McNabb approximately a $6 million bump in pay over the next two seasons, taking his potential earnings through 2010 from the nice neighborhood of $19 million to the incrementally nicer neighborhood of about $25 million.
Hey, it's their money and they can spend it as they please, even if the raise comes after a brief offseason spell during which the front office grumbled in the background and talked tough about holding the line on players with multiple seasons remaining on their contracts.
Quarterbacks are different, though, and Donovan is different even by quarterback standards. He's a little goofy, talks in circles, pouts on occasion, all of that, but he still represents the shortest distance at his position for the Eagles to reach a Super Bowl. Coming off a season in which he remained healthy and just missed the first 4,000-yard season of his career -- would have had it except for that 30 minutes of rest in Baltimore -- they had no intention of replacing him. And, in order to make things smoother, they had to give some money so it could appear he won the battle of wills. Who says he can't win the big one?
So, McNabb gets to save face, the Eagles get a happy quarterback and there's not much to see here. Some players have leverage, some don't, and you can ask Sheldon Brown about that if you like.
But, returning to the original question, did McNabb "earn" the raise. The organization said on Friday that over the course of his contract McNabb's earnings, compared to other QBs, has slipped from the top of the list to somewhere around 10th on the list. The raise put him back among the top three or four best-paid quarterbacks in the league.
Last season, McNabb's passer rating was tied for 14th in the NFL. His completion percentage was 18th. His TD percentage was 12th. The average gain on his passes ranked 19th. He threw 11 interceptions, and it has been seven seasons since he threw more than that.
He did operate without a reliable running game for much of the season, and with an offensive line that held together but just barely. Given the number of balls he threw -- a career-high 571 -- his interception percentage was still good. He got the team to the NFC championship game, won it once, but couldn't win it again after the defense gave the game away. Pretty good effort.
But was it the performance of one of the best three or four quarterbacks in the league? The Eagles either think so, or have to say they think so as a price of doing business. It's their money, but it would be nice if you could trust their explanation for why they spent it.
In the fantasy world of pro sports......you always get what you can and NEVER stop asking for more......The owners have so much that a few million here or there means nothing to them.....and it quiets their respective super stars......."earning" something has no meaning today.....if so, only SB Champs or World Series Champs would get paid.......but it does not matter today.......I want, I want, I want and the owners just keep on giving to QB's, Point scorers, long ball hitters....and the premiere players.......— nuggett- When you consider McNabb's stats, you probably ought to consider his career win loss record, which is very good. That's the most important stat, isn't it? He was also 5th in total completions, 8th in TDs thrown, and 7th in total yards last year. It looks like you cherry picked the stats that make him look bad -- that's pretty biased reporting.— FKD215
- His numbers didn't earn him the raise, but wins against Minnesota and the NY Giants and a very good game against the Cardinals were more than enough. Playoffs are what matters, not the regular season. (And the defense sputtered against the Cardinals) As a non-Eagles fan living in Philadelphia (the greatest city in the world) McNabb has done more for this town and team then anybody...if Kolb or anybody else were their QB, they'd be in full re-building mode. Even Cutler who was available this year would have been a downgrade at the position— etown445
- what did he do to earn a raise. the eagles didn't even earn a playoff spot. they needed the bucs to choke against the god awful raiders. the defense carried the team through the second half of the year up until the last two quarters of the season. And does 6 million really make a difference when you are about to get paid 19?— franknbeans
- Did I miss the parade? If so, did I miss the hitting receivers in stride, not throwing over and/or behind them? If i missed all of that then perhaps I also missed McChoke leading the Eagles down the field in the final minutes to win the game...What about executing a two minute drill? What about not getting fat through every season? I must have imagined the last 11 years, because you would think that puke baby had won something. Let's be serious for a moment, he is a good to very good QB with serious flaws in his game that have never been corrected, and his ability to play when the chips are down is well documented (chunks anyone?).
- Haters are back in full force. Eagles will win the title this year. NOBODY is messing with our speed on offense. Nobody. If Five didnt deserve a raise then who did? From being benched to carrying this team ALMOST to the Superbow. The D choked plain and simple. They had to stop Arizona just one more time and couldnt get the job done. That 7 minute drive took the eagles heart out of that game, no way around that. But Our D was already number one in the NFC and will only go up. Superbowl or bust!!— The Blueprint
- I'm not a "hater" but the "salaries" pro athletes get are outrageous and for the most part, they are a bunch of obnoxious, malcontent overpaid boorish crybabies.— catharine_christian_carpenter
- Bob, Please find something more interesting to write about. Let's discuss whether you've earned a raise...— Grazman
- We have come so far but have so far to go! Mcnabb just knocked down another barrier. A true leader indeed..— mongoS
- Hey, what do the Eagles care about an extra $6 million in payroll they still leaves them $2 million of the $8 million dollars they stole from the city.— phillyfan329
woof, how disgusting can you get? You are as pathetic an individual as can be imagined.— tpizza- woof, how disgusting can you get? You are as pathetic an individual as can be imagined.— tpizza
- Lonepuppy, when the success of the likes of Mcnabb brings out how bitter you truely are the more satisfaction I get!!! I enjoy it even more because I know the cause of your disgust is something positive for a true leader and the face of this team. Irritating isn't it???LOL— mongoS
- Lonepuppy taking that day off is a positive step in the right direction..— mongoS
- Mongo, hopefully woof will take the Lexus for a test drive in the garage for about 5 hours. Of course that's if he has either. Too bad public stoning is illegal but you are right, the thought of him stomping around throwing a tantrum like a child brings a smile to the face. Gotta be "only child" syndrone, or psychosis. What a sick pup.— tpizza
