Philadelphia Eagles: 30 greatest players in franchise history

Only time will tell if former Eagles franchise quarterback Donovan McNabb ends up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. To me, he is the Eagles quarterback I best remember from my childhood. He came into the league as the No. 2 overall pick out of Syracuse. With lofty expectations, McNabb delivered in his 11 years with the Eagles. But was that enough to get him into Canton?

After starting in six games as a rookie in 1999, McNabb took over as the full-time starter in 2000. He made his first of five straight Pro Bowls and six in his career that season. In his 10 years as the Eagles starting quarterback, McNabb led Philadelphia to the NFC Playoffs seven times. The Eagles made it to Super Bowl XXXIX in 2004, but ultimately fell to the New England Patriots down in Jacksonville.

Though never an All-Pro, McNabb was a model for consistency in his 11-year stint with the Eagles. He went 92-49-1 in 142 games as the Eagles’ star signal caller. He also famously didn’t know that NFL teams could tie. Though never an overly accurate passer (59.0 completion percentage with the Eagles), It was never McNabb’s play that kept the Eagles out of contention during the bulk of the Andy Reid era in Philadelphia.

After a rough final two years in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings and the Washington Redskins, McNabb would retire after the 2011 NFL season. He first became eligible for Canton enshrinement in 2017, but he remains on the outside looking in. Overall, McNabb threw for 32,873 yards, 216 touchdowns and 100 interceptions in Eagles uniform. It may take some time, but we have to believe McNabb will get the call to Canton sooner rather than later.