The quick collapse of the Donovan McNabb era in Washington didn’t come as a total shock. The rise of John Beck this offseason was a lot more surprising.
So how did this happen?
According to Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com, it’s largely been a Kyle Shanahan production.
“The son doesn’t like [McNabb],” one source told Prisco.
The relationship reportedly never developed between McNabb and Kyle Shanahan, the team’s offensive coordinator. The younger Shanahan reportedly does like Beck, although that doesn’t explain why Rex Grossman started over Beck late last season.
“Mike Shanahan listened to his son’s recommendation to sit [McNabb] down, a son who has more power than most offensive coordinators in the NFL, probably because he has the same last name as the head coach,” Prisco writes.
We don’t know the situation enough to say if Kyle Shanahan truly holds that much sway. There are plenty of coordinators that have a large say in quarterback decisions.
We do know that the next year or two in Washington will mean more to Kyle Shanahan’s career than his father’s. If they turn the ship around, Kyle could wind up being the team’s next head coach.
If not, it would be the first major setback for one of the most promising young coaching prospects in the league.