Looking for another reason why the Redskins would make a trade for a 33-year-old quarterback? Here’s a fairly intriguing one.
There’s a belief in some league circles that new coach Mike Shanahan, who’ll celebrate his 58th birthday in August, hopes to eventually hand the whistle to his son, Kyle, the team’s offensive coordinator. If so, it makes sense for the elder Shanahan to try to win sooner rather than later. Then, if/when Mike can pocket another Super Bowl win or two, Kyle can step in and take over the team.
Another natural ending point could be the retirement of new quarterback Donovan McNabb. When will that be? Shanahan recently said that he believes McNabb will be able to play indefinitely.
“Steve Young, John Elway, they went five years, six years past Donovan’s age,” Shanahan said, per Jason Reid of the Washington Post. “How long is Donovan going to play? I think the way he handles himself, the way he’s built, that he probably can play as long as he wants to play. You’ve got to keep your fingers crossed.
“Is it five years? Is it six? Is it three? Well, I can’t tell you for sure, but here’s a guy who loves to play the game, who takes care of himself and hopefully he has the same passion in five years as he does right now and he can beat Brett Favre.”
Of course, rumors of coaching succession plans are nothing new. It’s far more rare that they actually come to fruition. In Washington, a Shanahan handoff will happen only if the one who currently runs the show is sufficiently successful to justify the eventual elevation of his son.
And if that happens, the elder Shanahan could stick around in a Parcells-style role.