Did Rex Grossman do enough?
Not even he knows for sure.
When Grossman assumed the Redskins' starting quarterback job in Week 15, taking over for Donovan McNabb, he was given a three-game audition to show his effectiveness in Kyle Shanahan's offense.
Grossman proved he could operate the Redskins' offense, as evidenced by his four touchdown performance vs. Dallas on Dec. 19. But he continued to be plagued by turnovers that have marred his eight-year NFL career.
Overall, Grossman completed 74-of-133 passes – a 55.6 percentage – for 884 yards, seven touchdowns, four interceptions and four lost fumbles. His QB rating was 81.2.
For the most part, his stats this season fall in line with his career totals. Prior to 2010, he had played in 37 games (with 31 starts), completed 54 percent of his passes and threw 33 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. He also lost 12 fumbles.
And so not even Grossman is certain of his future with the Redskins.
He enters the 2011 offseason as an unrestricted free agent.
"I'm not exactly sure what [coaches] are thinking," Grossman said after Sunday's 17-14 loss to the New York Giants at FedExField. "I have extremely high expectations for myself. I feel like I can play at a Pro Bowl level. I'm not sure if I did that.
"There were times I thought I was playing at a high level, and I made a few mistakes here and there...I feel like I did an okay job, but I can play a lot better."
He admitted he was anxious about his future.
"Anytime you don't have another year on your contract, [you realize] this is it," he said. "I'd like to be here. I love it here and I love the coaches. I think Kyle Shanahan is one of the best offensive coordinators and I've gotten a chance to learn from him.
"We'll see. I don't know what's going to happen, but [returning to Washington] would be my preference."
Grossman joins McNabb in uncertainty.
McNabb was told by head coach Mike Shanahan three weeks ago that there was no guarantee he would be back with the Redskins in 2011, despite signing a contract extension on Nov. 15.
Following the Giants game, Shanahan was asked if McNabb would be back in 2011.
"Like I said a couple of weeks ago, after the season is over we are going to get a chance to evaluate Rex and we will sit down and make the best decision for the organization," Shanahan replied. "Like I said, nothing is out of the realm of possibility right now. I am not going to say one way or another what is going to happen because I am not really sure myself."
Coaches and personnel officials could scour the free agent market – pending a resolution to union talks, of course – or draft a top quarterback prospect.
Grossman may have an edge in that he has two years of experience in Kyle Shanahan's offense. He played for Shanahan in Houston in 2009 in addition to this year in Washington.
If the Redskins draft a quarterback, it may make sense to bring back Grossman to help groom him.
For now, Grossman is saying the right things.
"Kyle can definitely create a game plan to attack what defenses do," he said. "It's very exciting to run that offense and have quick reads, go through your progressions and move the ball, finish drives, score touchdowns.
"This team has a great nucleus and great coaches. I think the Redskins are definitely going to be good the next couple of years. Those are the things that I want to be a part of."
On his performance the last three games, Grossman said: "I'm proud of my effort. I stayed as late as possible to prepare for all three games. I gave it my best shot and I definitely had some moments of meeting my expectations and definitely a few that I didn't."
