Donovan McNabb was released on Thursday by the Minnesota Vikings. McNabb was supposed to be the quarterback of today for the Vikings, while they groomed Christian Ponder for the future, but since the switch, McNabb has been itching to play football.
The move will spark a likely waiver-run, as several teams could benefit from McNabb this season down the stretch. Given McNabb’s age and how late it is in the season, the greatest benefit would be for a team poised for a playoff run without a starting quarterback, and there are two obvious candidates that meet that qualification.
The Texans, who are still in a solid position for a playoff run, have lost two quarterbacks in two games and could greatly benefit from McNabb at quarterback. Plus, they really need an experienced game manager with their running game and defense.
The Bears are another possibility, with starter Jay Cutler possibly gone for the rest of the season. McNabb is a Chicago native, so this would allow him to return to where he grew up.
Waiver rules work from worst record to best, putting Chicago ahead of Houston. There are a number of teams with worse records up first, but if you are rebuilding and getting reps for a young quarterback, McNabb is probably not the best fit.
McNabb has passed for over 37,000 yards, number 17 all time, and 234 touchdowns in his career.
