The Minnesota Vikings acquired quarterback Donovan McNabb from Washington in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick. McNabb has yet to officially sign his restructured contract.And free agent Matt Hasselbeck is leaving Seattle for Tennessee, where he probably will start. He spent the last 10 seasons with the Seahawks, leading them to the 2005 NFC title. The Titans drafted quarterback Jake Locker eighth overall in April but needed a veteran presence after Kerry Collins retired. They plan to trade or release Vince Young.
The Vikings’ deal for McNabb gives the Vikings a veteran quarterback who will play until first-round draft choice Christian Ponder is ready to take over. The deal also includes a conditional sixth-round pick in 2013. "He was going to come in and really help us win more games, but it didn’t work out," Washington linebacker Lorenzo Alexander said. From the sound of it, Ponder isn’t conceding anything to McNabb yet.
"Excited to have McNabb join," Ponder wrote on Twitter on Wednesday morning, perhaps jumping the gun just a little bit. "Will learn a lot from a Pro Bowler. But that doesn’t mean I’m not still fighting to start week 1!" Former Vikings quarterback Randall Cunningham thinks it’s a great deal for Minnesota.
"Donovan McNabb is in his prime now," Cunningham told the Star-Tribune. "So many people don’t realize that when quarterbacks get into their 30s, that’s really when they start to understand the game. That’s when quarterbacks become the Moseses and Abrahams of the league. At no point is Donovan too old to be an elite quarterback".
This ends a tumultuous one-year run in Washington for McNabb, a 12-year veteran. He was benched twice last season and threw 14 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 13 games. He and his agent, Fletcher Smith, sparred publicly with head coach Mike Shanahan and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.
