It's been a rough season for Donovan McNabb, and has become even rougher after being benched prior to last Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys. He said he was bothered by the fact that he learned a lot of information through the media, prompting Mike Shanahan to say that he felt something got misinterpreted. McNabb's relationship with Kyle Shanahan, the team's offensive coordinator, has also not been good.
All this has finally prompted a strong response from McNabb's agent, Fletcher Smith. In a strongly-worded statement just released to media, Smith said that the behavior by Mike and Kyle Shanahan has been "beyond disrespectful" and suggests that they were the sources of various leaks that have surfaced. Via CSN Washington:
While Donovan's feelings about Washington remain the same, the Shanahans - both Mike and more specifically Kyle - have made this an extremely difficult relationship to maintain. Their comments have been beyond disrespectful and unprecedented for a six-time Pro Bowl quarterback such as Donovan.
Smith's statement says that there has been "tension" between McNabb and Kyle Shanahan all season, stemming from McNabb's "suggestions" to tinker with Shanahan's offensive philosophy.
I believe there is tension between Donovan and Kyle that's rooted in the fact that Donovan has suggested modifications to Kyle's offense based on intricacies Donovan has learned in his NFL career. For example, Donovan has asked all year that the team run more screen passes to help manage the pass rush more effectively. Ironically, Kyle decided to employ Donovan's suggestions after he unceremoniously benched him on Sunday.
After Donovan quickly led the Redskins down the field and scored what appeared to be the game saving drive against Tampa Bay, Kyle was quoted as saying "He'll (McNabb) never take another snap for me again." Remember that statement came after Donovan led the Redskins on one of their best drives of the entire season.
The full statement is available at CSN Washington.