Eagles, Redskins may need to rethink QB plans

The Donovan McNabb trade was supposed to establish new quarterbacking eras for the Eagles and Redskins.

But four weeks into the 2010 season, both teams face looming questions about their long-term plans at football's most important position.

McNabb and Eagles starter Michael Vick are in the final year of their contracts, leaving their destinations after 2010, and their respective team's plans, unclear.

Their futures, and that of Kevin Kolb, will be critical to the two NFC East rivals, and to judging the wisdom, timing, and planning behind one of the most significant moves in recent Eagles history.

Vick has an opportunity to solidify his role as McNabb's successor, but it hinges on several unanswered questions. Most prominent: Can he maintain his high level of play? The Eagles likely want to see more of Vick before making an expensive, long-term commitment.

If Vick stars throughout the season, it would be hard to see the team letting the dynamic playmaker leave. But if he does excel, interest around the league would grow, increasing his leverage in negotiations and - with free agency an option - likely boosting his price.

Extending Vick would probably mean the end of Kolb's useful tenure in Philadelphia. He is signed through 2011, but it is unlikely he would agree to another contract to remain a backup, especially since he could compete for a starting job elsewhere. If Vick is the long-term heir to McNabb, Kolb could become a trading chip.

So far, neither Vick nor the Eagles have addressed their long-range plans. Vick has said he'd like to stay, but that his future "remains to be seen."

"I haven't even looked at that, to be honest with you," head coach Andy Reid said Friday when asked about his long-term plans at quarterback.

Vick, 30, is four years older than Kolb, who had been groomed to replace McNabb. It was Kolb, not Vick, who got an extension after McNabb's trade, showing whom the Eagles' brass was looking toward.

But both players should have many years left near the peak of their physical abilities.

The average age of NFL starting quarterbacks in Week 3 was 28.3 (counting the suspended Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh, and injured Matthew Stafford in Detroit and Jake Delhomme in Cleveland). Eleven quarterbacks are 30 or older, many still productive. Among them, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady should all have several strong seasons left.

Vick missed two years of football and thus has less wear on his body than others his age.

Should Vick leave, by his choice or the team's, Kolb might get another chance in Philadelphia. Reid has insisted Kolb has a bright future.

But Kolb would enter the 2011 season as an unproven 27-year-old. The Eagles still won't know if he could be a reliable starter.

The Redskins, meanwhile, now have an experienced and talented quarterback for the first time in decades.

McNabb, however, turns 34 in November. He is the fifth-oldest starting quarterback in the NFL, behind Brett Favre (40), Delhomme (35), Matt Hasselbeck (35), and Manning (34).

It seems unlikely that the Redskins would have traded a second-round pick in 2010 and third or fourth in 2011 for a one-year stopgap. New coach Mike Shanahan is attempting a significant rebuilding project and will need stability.

If McNabb chooses to look elsewhere, though - perhaps to a team more ready to contend - tempting options await. The Vikings (led by former Eagles offensive coordinator Brad Childress) and Cardinals (in McNabb's adopted home state) are both talented and will likely be needy at quarterback in 2011.

McNabb has said he wants to remain in Washington, and the Redskins have said they expect to keep him. Yet no extension has been signed.

When the Eagles traded McNabb, the decision fit with a youth movement and was supposed to establish a long-term change. The team extended Kolb's deal to avert the problem of having a starter on the verge of free agency.

With Vick replacing Kolb, though, the math has changed. Now both the Eagles and Redskins are left to solve quarterback equations full of variables.