Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl
Donovan McNabb went unclaimed on waivers, meaning the former Minnesota Vikings quarterback is free to sign with any team, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
The Vikings waived the 13-year veteran quarterback on Thursday, giving him the opportunity to sign with another team for the stretch run in a parting coach Leslie Frazier described as mutual.
Frazier pushed for the Vikings to trade a sixth-round draft pick this summer to the Washington Redskins in exchange for McNabb. He believed McNabb would bring stability to the offense after the NFL lockout kept rookie Christian Ponder from practicing with the team or working with his coaches until training camp.
The Vikings filled McNabb’s vacant roster spot by claiming quarterback Sage Rosenfels off waivers from the Dolphins.
Rosenfels was brought in by Vikings vice president Rick Spielman in 2009. But he never played, stuck behind Tarvaris Jackson and then Brett Favre on the depth chart. He spent last season with the Giants.
The move also allows the Vikings to continue to use Joe Webb at receiver. Webb was the primary backup to rookie Christian Ponder when McNabb was cut.
Frazier and McNabb met in 1999, when the defensive backs coach and the first-round draft pick spent their first year with the Philadelphia Eagles. Friendly to the end, Frazier wished McNabb well and said part of the reason for the move was for the player’s sake.
“This was the best decision for both parties,” Frazier said Thursday. “He was a great player and has been a great player for our league for a long, long time. Have a lot of affection and love for Donovan.”
McNabb went 1-5 as a starter with the Vikings, threw for only four touchdowns and completed just five passes of 25-plus yards, then wound up on the bench in favor of Ponder. However, McNabb said he used that time to work on “different things” and to help bring along Ponder.
Now, he hopes he can help a future employer, either as a starter or backup.
“You look across the league and see another quarterback going done (with injury), maybe teams could use my services,” McNabb said during an appearance Friday on ESPN Radio’s “Mike and Mike in the Morning.”
–ESPN
