They assumed Donovan McNabb was hurt. Then they found out that wasn’t the case.
And, yes, McNabb’s Redskins teammates were then surprised – shocked even — by his benching.
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“For him to be pulled like that is definitely a shocker to a lot of us,” corner DeAngelo Hall said.
“Yeah, it surprised me with all the comebacks he’s had in his career,” said end Phillip Daniels. “But as players we don’t make decisions. He handled it well. At the same time I’d love to have him in there in the end.”
Coach Mike Shanahan benched McNabb for the final two minutes of Sunday’s 37-25 loss to Detroit, citing McNabb’s lack of comfort in those situations. Rex Grossman played the final two series, having a fumble returned for a touchdown on his first play. He completed four of seven passes for 44 yards.
But any controversy isn’t about McNabb vs. Grossman; Shanahan announced McNabb would continue to start. Rather, the controversy centers around McNabb and his future in Washington. The Redskins traded two picks, including a second-rounder, to Philadelphia for McNabb. He’s a free agent after the season.
“We do what the coaches say to do,” Hall said. “For us to not rally behind what’s being coached, that’s not going to happen. It does raise an interesting point. After the season, will he be here or not? He has a decision to make, too. It’s not strictly up to this organization. It’s up to him, too, as well. I guess we’ll, as a team and organization, cross that bridge when we get there.”
Teammates haven’t lost their faith in McNabb.
“I don’t think this will be a lingering issue,” linebacker London Fletcher said. “There’s no lack of confidence that we have as teammates. I think Coach Shanahan has already stated that he’ll be the starter throughout the season. So really is there anything to really talk about?
“Donovan has done a lot of good things for us this first eight ballgames to allow us to be where we’re at, 4-4. Let’s not lose sight of that. He’s made a ton of plays for us. You look at any of the ballgames that we’ve won, he’s definitely played a huge role in that.”
Meanwhile, even Grossman understands the situation.
“Donovan is the starter, a potential Hall of Famer,” McNabb said. “Everyone has a lot of confidence in him. I’ll be ready to go if needed as well. It’s a situation where he knows he has to play a little better, but everyone knows he’ll do that.”
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