Philadelphia Eagles Need Quarterback Guru George Whitfield Jr.

Sep 19, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb during a retirement ceremony during halftime of a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Perhaps the attestations so far have not been enough to convince you.  Well, sometimes it takes that last little nudge to align viewpoints, so here’s my last shot.  After being traded by the Philadelphia Eagles to the Washington Redskins, the former Eagles quarterback ran into the buzz saw pair of Mike and Kyle Shanahan.   By mid-season, the pro-bowl quarterback was holding the clipboard while quarterback Rex Grossman took over the reigns of the offense.  Then on to Minnesota, but his tenure with the Vikings did not gain much traction either.

So, in 2012, he turned to the man who so many have gone to in the hopes of fixing their mechanics, the Quarterback Guru… er … Engineer… George Whitfield Jr.  Looking to get “back to the basics”, one of the most established and renowned quarterbacks the Philadelphia Eagles have known in the modern age did not hesitate to seek help to fix those mechanical issues which can go awry over time.

Unfortunately, Donovan’s bid to return to the NFL did not take hold.

"“I’m in great shape, dropped 15-20 pound. But again, it’s not really about that. Because for me, people may have seen how strong I looked, and they kind of (assumed I was) maybe out of shape or whatever. But now that I’m lighter, people all of a sudden (are saying), ‘Well, he’s in shape.’ I’ve been in shape.  I stay motivated, no matter what.”-Donovan McNabb"

Right now, the state of the Eagles quarterback situation is not that good. With four quarterback coaches in four years, a regressing performance out of the starters and some flaws in the production of the entire group, there is a serious need to consider the unconventional methodology. Time for a swat team, a wise sahib… a guru if you would.

I’ll let George Whitfield tell you in his own words

"“If mechanics and fundamentals are clothing, you want to wear a three-piece suit. You want to be that short, that measured, that consistent and that clean all day. You don’t really see people getting snagged wearing a three-piece suit. When you set on that trail on that type of thing, you want everything consistent – you don’t want any wasted footwork. It almost changes your mindset. If you’re wearing sweatpants, you’re in one mindset. If you’re in a brand new suit, that puts you in another mindset. Being in that position is supposed to supply power to the other 10 players. The sharper you are, the more you can generate for the rest of that huddle. It’s important for you to have full ownership and accountability. When you talk about an athlete at quarterback and quarterbacks that are athletes, I’ve seen some athletes that play quarterbacks. ” – George Whitfield in an interview with Kyle Rowland of Eleven Warriors on April 8, 2013"

Necessity is the Mother of Invention – or in this case quarterback engineering.   Let’s not sit on this one.   We need a swat team and we can deliver one with one phone call.  The Philadelphia Eagles need quarterback guru George Whitfield.  Make the call.