Is McNabb Hall of Famer?
Now that we have gotten through the unofficial start of summer, Memorial Day Weekend, what's a better topic than football? We are now less than 100 days 'till the 2019 season kicks off. Recently there were some comments made by a certain former Eagles quarterback, Donovan McNabb, saying that he is and should be a Hall of Famer.
Does he deserve the highest honor in professional football?
To me I think he does but, there is a but - it won’t be for a while.
McNabb came into the league at a time that not many QB’s were running as a primary way of picking up yards. He started an league wide epidemic that would soon become the future of the position - The dual threat QB. Running and throwing, what a concept huh? It did take him a few years to define that role and I believe that he did that well and became a true dual threat QB. Early on in his career, he may have been a little scramble happy, therefore prolonging the whole "dual" part of the equation.
There is on game in particular that really fueled this fire for McNabb. In his fourth year in the league, he took a nasty shot against Arizona that broke his ankle. McNabb not only played the rest of this game, but threw for 4 TD's and 225 yards while completing 20 of his 25 passes. Attending this game was a real treat. Seeing him limp down the field after completing pass after pass and just putting the ball beautifully into his WR’s hands was just a thing of beauty. It was on this day that we found out just how good of a QB he could become.
McNabb recently compared himself to Troy Aikman, before we get all crazy, let me make a quick point. Aikman was the product of having two other Hall of Famers on his team as well. Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin. With those two on his team he didn’t need to be the man. LETS TAKE A LOOK AT SOME STATS, SHALL WE?!
McNabb vs. Aikman
Games 167 - 165
TD’s 234 - 165
INT’s 117 - 141
Yards 37,276 - 32,942
Rushing yds. 3,459 - 1,016
Number never lie, people. It seems the only real edge held by Aijman are the three Super Bowl rings and has a big part to do with why Aikman is in the Hall of Fame.
Lets make one more comparison- Buffalo Bills great Jim Kelly. In the early 90’s his squad made it to 4 straight Super Bowls and lost all 4. Let’s compare Kelly’s stats to McNabb’s.
McNabb vs. Kelly
Games 167 - 160
TD’s 234 - 237
INT’s 117 - 175
Yards 37,276 - 35,467
Rushing yds. 3,459 - 1,049
Now yes Kelly had made 4 super bowls BUT still just as many rings as McNabb – 0. Comparing him to Kelly I feel is a better comparison, stat wise. As you can see, McNabb is right there if not ever so slightly better than Kelly, because the numbers say so, now say it with me this time "Numbers don't lie!"
McNabb statistically is a Hall of Famer. Point blank. Period.
Lets talk about franchises for a second, because that MUST play a role in this. Aikman might not even be the best QB in his team’s history. Roger Staubach could be that guy. Kelly is by far the best QB to ever put on a Bills jersey.
McNabb, in my opinion, is the best QB to ever put on and Eagle uniform up to this point.
If there's one thing that I know for sure, it's this - McNabb should really just let his stats do the talking, and not his mouth. A true HOF'er should already know this.
I was a big McNabb fan during his playing days and feel that at some point, he ultimately gets in. Unfortunately, it could take until the Senior Committee votes him in, which is at least another two decades away. We have some time to wait but in the end, he will get there. We all have to remember though that Number 5 loves you.
Cheers!!
Mike Grimm / Grimm's Philly Tales
Philly Drinkers LLC
@PhillyDrinkers
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