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Gruden, Jaws debate McNabb's future

The debate about whether Donovan McNabb will be the Eagles' starting quarterback in 2010 continued during the Pro Bowl broadcast on ESPN Sunday night.

Analysts Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden chimed in with their thoughts as McNabb entered the game in the second quarter.

"I know Andy Reid too. You're not the only guy that knows Andy Reid," Gruden said to his broadcast partner. "Now, they're not trading Donovan McNabb to Minnesota, and they're not gonna trade him to Arizona because they're not gonna trade a great quarterback to a team that has a chance to beat Philadelphia. That I know. This guy is a winner. Eight times he's taken the Eagles deep into the playoffs. I really think there's just a lot of elevator music right now."

Jaws seemed a little less convinced that McNabb should definitely be back next year.

"I'm not disputing anything you said. In fact, I totally agree," Jaworski said. "But at the end of the day, you gotta find a way to win a championship. And that's the one kink in the armor of Donovan McNabb. He hasn't been able to deliver the Vince Lombardi trophy. He's played very well. Everything he does... you look at the numbers. They're outstanding. You said it's about winning, Jon."

Jaws then got cut off as they pulled up a graphic, comparing McNabb's numbers to Jaworski's and pointing out that the only category Jaws had the leg up was interceptions.

As for McNabb's play, not that it matters in the least, but he was 3-for-9 for 78 yards, a touchdown and an interception (as of this writing). The pick came courtesy of Brian Dawkins, by the way.

DeSean Jackson caught four balls for 84 yards and two touchdowns, including a 58-yarder from McNabb. The Inquirer's Bob Brookover got Jackson's take on the QB situation last week, but he was asked again about it Sunday night during the TV broadcast.

"Like I say, it [blows my head] sometimes just because what I know, what his legacy, and you know how great of a career he had in Philadelphia," Jackson said of the McNabb speculation. "That's all I kind of know is playing with him for two years so it'll be good to have him back, but if we don't, we still gotta get to business."

And finally, McNabb did a TV interview in the third quarter, but said nothing different than he said last week. When asked why he thinks the same questions come up after every season, McNabb said, "I don't know, but I'm still not gonna answer it. I love Philadelphia."