Donovan McNabb shares strong take on Eagles parting ways with Andy Reid

Donovan McNabb didn’t hold back when asked to compare the Philadelphia Eagles parting ways with Andy Reid to the Giants letting Saquon Barkley walk. “With Saquon, it’s newer and fresh,” McNabb told Fox News, “but with the success we had with Andy, after I left, things were up and down.”

The former Eagles quarterback suggested Reid’s post-McNabb years in Philly came with consequences. “It wasn’t consistent. And he was to blame for it,” McNabb said, pointing to the team’s struggles after his departure from the starting role.

Looking back, McNabb believes the Eagles moved on from Reid too soon. “You look at what Andy has done now, and what he could’ve done if given more time in Philly,” he said. “I think Andy would be the bigger mistake.”

How bad did it get for Reid after McNabb left?

McNabb played his final season with the Eagles in 2009, reaching the playoffs that year. The team returned to the postseason in 2010 without him, but missed the playoffs in both 2011 and 2012—Reid’s final two years in Philadelphia. His last season ended with a 4–12 record.

With McNabb and Reid together, the Eagles made the playoffs eight times, though they reached the Super Bowl just once—in 2004, where they lost to Tom Brady and the dynasty-era Patriots. From 1999 to 2009, the duo only missed the playoffs three times.

McNabb didn’t reach the same heights as Reid

Though McNabb played 13 seasons in the NFL, he never won a Super Bowl. Reid didn’t win one in Philly either, but has since won three with the Kansas City Chiefs. McNabb’s last NFL action came in 2011, which was his second and final season playing for teams other than the Eagles—Washington and Minnesota.