Quarterback Donovan McNabb is no longer a Redskin, but on Friday head coach Mike Shanahan still had to answer questions about McNabb's one season in Washington.
This week, McNabb was traded to the Minnesota Vikings for draft picks. Shanahan confirmed the trade in comments on Friday.
McNabb arrived in Washington in 2010 as part of a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. Shanahan and the Redskins sent second- and fourth-round picks to the Eagles.
"There was a lot that went into that decision," Shanahan said. "I thought if he did fit within our system and did the right things that he could be a top notch player for us. At the end of the day, it just didn't work out quite the way we wanted it to.
"We would have had to make a commitment three or four years, and I didn't want to do that with the year that I spent, but that doesn't mean that Donovan can't still play at a very high level."
Shanahan said he believes McNabb could find success in Minnesota.
"Donovan will probably go in there ready to play and do whatever they want him to do. Hopefully it works out," Shanahan said. "They have a good team, a playoff-caliber team. Hopefully he has the weapons to do the things that he's capable of doing."
Shanahan emphasized that there was never any personality conflict with McNabb from anyone in the organization.
"Donovan McNabb is a class guy," Shanahan said.
McNabb started 13 games in his one-year-tenure in Washington. He completed 275-of-475 passes – a 58.3 percentage – for 3,377 yards, 14 touchdowns and a career-high 15 interceptions. He was sacked 37 times, fourth-most in the league.
Now, the Redskins have an open competition to replace McNabb under center.
"Every position's open on our football team, some a little more than others," Shanahan said.
John Beck and Rex Grossman, who is still unsigned, are two candidates to start next season.
"At the end of the day, we made a decision not to keep Donovan's contract, and now we go on," Shanahan said. "I still think that Donovan has a great future in front of him if he decides to do the little things that he needs to do to get to the next level, and then it will be there."
