McNabb says he was ‘misused’ by Redskins

Former Vikings quarterback Donovan McNabb said in a national TV interview that Mike Shanahan misused him in Washington and therefore Robert Griffin III wouldn’t be a good fit there.

There are few things that sell worse than a former player coming off as bitter. One can add Donovan McNabb’s name to that list.

Appearing on ESPN2’s “First Take” program Thursday, McNabb openly questioned whether pending top-two overall draft pick Robert Griffin III will be able to prosper with the Washington Redskins and head coach Mike Shanahan. McNabb based his comments on how he perceives Shanahan used him. Asked if he thought RG3 would be a good fit in Washington, McNabb didn’t mince words.

“No,” McNabb said. “I say that because a lot of times ego gets too involved when it comes to being in Washington.”

McNabb went on to say he felt he was “misused” in Washington, where he was benched twice by Shanahan and the final straw came when he was benched days after signing a potentially lucrative contract extension. Perhaps part of McNabb’s bitterness was the result of being benched in favor of journeyman Rex Grossman, who has never been a fan favorite throughout his career.

McNabb didn’t drag the Vikings into the mud with Shanahan by claiming he was misused in Minnesota. In reality, the Vikings were more than willing to allow McNabb to be the starter, but he played his way out of the lineup – the same thing he did in Washington with Shanahan. In D.C., he found his way to the bench. In Minnesota, he found his way to the unemployment line – being cut after not being happy with his position, and the Vikings were willing to oblige when veteran Sage Rosenfels became available on the free agent market when he was released by Miami.

At a time when there has been a carousel of quarterback movement from one franchise to another, not only has McNabb not been part of the considerable movement, his name hasn’t been mentioned in any of the teams looking for quarterbacks and hasn’t been wined and dined for team visits.

It would appear that, despite his protests to the contrary after being cut by the Vikings that he still has good years left in him, McNabb’s playing career is done. He played his way out of Philadelphia, Washington and Minnesota and it would appear the third time was the anti-charm. Now he just appears bitter about being on the outside looking in and has an axe to grind.

FRIDAY NOTES

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton said Thursday he is “mystified” that the charitable gambling hierarchy in the state has been opposed to the current cost split being offered from new revenue generated by the gaming portion of the Vikings stadium bill, hinting that it could bring down the stadium effort this year.

Anthony Hargrove, the player who was called to the carpet in the wake of the Bountygate scandal and is likely going to face a suspension when Commissioner Roger Goodell hands down a decision on the players involved in the pay-for-play scheme in New Orleans, signed with the Packers Thursday.

In a move that should surprise no one, the Vikings have scheduled personal visits with USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil and LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne, according to the Pioneer Press, both of whom would be legitimate picks with the No. 3 choice. However, there would seem to be a lot more momentum growing toward the drafting of Kalil as we hit the four-week point prior to the draft.

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John Holler has been writing about the Vikings for more than a decade for Viking Update. Follow Viking Update on Twitter and discuss this topic on our message boards. To become a subscriber to the Viking Update web site or magazine, click here.

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