PHILADELPHIA - While the struggling Eagles ponder their immediate future without Donovan McNabb, the hot topic for debate in Philadelphia is how the injured quarterback figures into the long-term plans of the franchise.
The five-time Pro Bowl selection, who tore a knee ligament last month, recently turned 30 - and some are wondering how much longer he can play at a high level even if he does fully recover from season-ending surgery.
Many are already calling for the Eagles to select a quarterback early in the NFL draft next April.
McNabb is spending another December watching his teammates from outside the huddle with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. It's the third time in five years McNabb went down in mid-November, though he returned for the playoffs in 2002 after he broke his ankle and missed the final six regular-season games.Though it's natural to speculate after a player sustains a serious injury, ACL injuries are common in the NFL and sports.
A recent medical study showed that 24 of 31 running backs and wide receivers who had ACL injuries between 1998-2002 returned to play again. But the study, which focused on those two positions, also used a complex formula to determine that the players who returned saw their performance decline by one-third.
The research, by the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, was published in this month's American Journal of Sports Medicine.
McNabb is a scrambler who certainly uses his legs more than most quarterbacks, but he doesn't run around as much as running backs and receivers. He also is a hard worker who takes an aggressive approach to rehabilitation and has an excellent track record.
It's likely McNabb will make a complete recovery - it's even possible he could return before the estimated period of eight to 12 months.
“We're setting it up right now that he can be back in training camp or maybe the opening game,” head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder said after renowned orthopedist Dr. James Andrews performed McNabb's surgery last week in Birmingham, Ala.
“We're not shooting for minicamps or anything like that. Because of the timing of the injury, I don't think there is any need to rush. I think he needs to work hard. He knows that and he wants to. This is a guy who, during his career, has a very regimented training program that he wants to stick to. He's had great success with it.”
McNabb should have a conversation with Carson Palmer, who tore his anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments and dislocated his kneecap in Cincinnati's playoff loss to Pittsburgh last Jan. 8. Palmer had surgery two days later and was ready for the Bengals' season opener this year.
But Palmer is a pocket passer who plays a much different style than McNabb. Daunte Culpepper might be more comparable because he's also mobile - though his injury was considerably more serious than McNabb's.
Culpepper tore his anterior cruciate, medial collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments in a game with Minnesota on Oct. 30, 2005. He was traded to Miami and started the season opener but clearly wasn't the same player and went to the bench after four games in which he was sacked 21 times.
Culpepper had arthroscopic knee surgery last week to remove a piece of cartilage that had hampered his recovery from the reconstructive surgery and it's uncertain whether he'll play again this season.
It doesn't hurt that McNabb is working with Burkholder, who designed the rehab program that helped Steelers cornerback Rod Woodson return from an ACL injury in the 1995 season opener to play in the Super Bowl 4.5 months later.
Burkholder is confident McNabb will be ready when the Eagles open the 2007 season.
“The percentages say he has a good chance to play,” he said.
McNabb was having one of the best statistical seasons of his eight-year career before he was hurt against Tennessee on Nov. 19. He finished with 2,647 yards passing, 18 TDs, six interceptions and a passer rating of 95.5.
Last year, McNabb had surgery for a sports hernia and missed the final seven games. Mike McMahon was 2-5 as the starter after McNabb went down and the Eagles finished 6-10 a year after going to the Super Bowl.
When McNabb sat out the final six regular-season games in '02, Koy Detmer and A.J. Feeley led the Eagles to a 5-1 record.
This time, the Eagles turned to veteran Jeff Garcia, who was set to make his second start against Carolina on Monday night. Garcia is playing on a one-year contract, so he could end up somewhere else next season, especially if he plays well down the stretch and another team offers him a starting job.
Feeley is signed through next year. For now, he's Plan B if McNabb somehow has a setback.
Many are already calling for the Eagles to select a quarterback early in the NFL draft next April.
McNabb is spending another December watching his teammates from outside the huddle with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. It's the third time in five years McNabb went down in mid-November, though he returned for the playoffs in 2002 after he broke his ankle and missed the final six regular-season games.Though it's natural to speculate after a player sustains a serious injury, ACL injuries are common in the NFL and sports.
A recent medical study showed that 24 of 31 running backs and wide receivers who had ACL injuries between 1998-2002 returned to play again. But the study, which focused on those two positions, also used a complex formula to determine that the players who returned saw their performance decline by one-third.
The research, by the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, was published in this month's American Journal of Sports Medicine.
McNabb is a scrambler who certainly uses his legs more than most quarterbacks, but he doesn't run around as much as running backs and receivers. He also is a hard worker who takes an aggressive approach to rehabilitation and has an excellent track record.
It's likely McNabb will make a complete recovery - it's even possible he could return before the estimated period of eight to 12 months.
“We're setting it up right now that he can be back in training camp or maybe the opening game,” head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder said after renowned orthopedist Dr. James Andrews performed McNabb's surgery last week in Birmingham, Ala.
“We're not shooting for minicamps or anything like that. Because of the timing of the injury, I don't think there is any need to rush. I think he needs to work hard. He knows that and he wants to. This is a guy who, during his career, has a very regimented training program that he wants to stick to. He's had great success with it.”
McNabb should have a conversation with Carson Palmer, who tore his anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments and dislocated his kneecap in Cincinnati's playoff loss to Pittsburgh last Jan. 8. Palmer had surgery two days later and was ready for the Bengals' season opener this year.
But Palmer is a pocket passer who plays a much different style than McNabb. Daunte Culpepper might be more comparable because he's also mobile - though his injury was considerably more serious than McNabb's.
Culpepper tore his anterior cruciate, medial collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments in a game with Minnesota on Oct. 30, 2005. He was traded to Miami and started the season opener but clearly wasn't the same player and went to the bench after four games in which he was sacked 21 times.
Culpepper had arthroscopic knee surgery last week to remove a piece of cartilage that had hampered his recovery from the reconstructive surgery and it's uncertain whether he'll play again this season.
It doesn't hurt that McNabb is working with Burkholder, who designed the rehab program that helped Steelers cornerback Rod Woodson return from an ACL injury in the 1995 season opener to play in the Super Bowl 4.5 months later.
Burkholder is confident McNabb will be ready when the Eagles open the 2007 season.
“The percentages say he has a good chance to play,” he said.
McNabb was having one of the best statistical seasons of his eight-year career before he was hurt against Tennessee on Nov. 19. He finished with 2,647 yards passing, 18 TDs, six interceptions and a passer rating of 95.5.
Last year, McNabb had surgery for a sports hernia and missed the final seven games. Mike McMahon was 2-5 as the starter after McNabb went down and the Eagles finished 6-10 a year after going to the Super Bowl.
When McNabb sat out the final six regular-season games in '02, Koy Detmer and A.J. Feeley led the Eagles to a 5-1 record.
This time, the Eagles turned to veteran Jeff Garcia, who was set to make his second start against Carolina on Monday night. Garcia is playing on a one-year contract, so he could end up somewhere else next season, especially if he plays well down the stretch and another team offers him a starting job.
Feeley is signed through next year. For now, he's Plan B if McNabb somehow has a setback.
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