Donovan McNabb just can't believe what's going on these days. All these QBs are getting big contracts and in his mind, they don't deserve them!
As you may remember, he was flabbergasted at the Tony Romo deal back in March.
Tony Romo 6 yr 55 million dollar extension. Wow really, with one playoff win. You got to be kidding me
— Donovan McNabb (@donovanjmcnabb) March 29, 2013
The latest QB to get an extension is Detroit's Matt Stafford, who inked a five-year $76.5 million extension. McNabb says he's just not worth it because he doesn't win games.
"It's about wins and losses again," McNabb said on NFL Network. "Now, as a quarterback and as Matt Stafford, hey, I would take that contract just like Tony Romo took his contract. But is he worth top 5 money? I would have to say no. And I say that because it's about wins and losses. What has he really done for the Detroit Lions? Nothing."
There's no doubt that Stafford's record is not very good. In fact, he's a staggering 1-23 against teams with a winning percentage over .500.
Stafford was asked about McNabb's comments on Mike & Mike. He actually agreed that he hasn't has delivered the wins like he expected, but says he's not out to please Donovan McNabb.
"I totally understand Donovan's point of view, but at the same time, I'm trying to please the Lions, my teammates and my coaches," said Stafford. "Nobody else. People can say what they want to say but as long as the guys in that building, that locker room, believe in me that's all that matters."
Now, is it all about wins and losses with a QB? It's actually a much more nuanced question in football than it is in a sport like baseball. You can be one of the best pitchers in the game and have a so-so W/L record. But is that the case for QBs? Fact is, the best QBs in the NFL are consistently the guys with the best W/L records as well.
Let's just look at last year. Of the top 5 QBs in terms of QB rating, all 5 made the playoffs. Of the top 10, 7 made the playoffs. Of those that did not make the playoffs, only Drew Brees had a losing record (barely, he was 7-9). Obviously we know that Drew Brees as a starter in New Orleans has had a fantastic win/loss record.
The other top 10 guys who didn't make the postseason were Ben Roethlisberger who had a winning record last year but missed a few games (all of which the Steelers lost) and Tony Romo, who was 8-8.
Stafford got off to a rough start over the first two years of his career, had a breakout season in 2011 and regressed sharply along with the rest of Lions last year. Still... He's only 25 and clearly a guy with talent. Plus, as PFT points out, Stafford was drafted before the rookie wage scale, so he signed an enormous rookie contract and this extension actually gives them cap relief over the next couple years.
There's no doubt that Detroit is betting that his 2011 is closer to what he really is, rather than the other 3 seasons of his career. Certainly, he's not even reached his prime yet so there's room for growth. And frankly... if you're going to take a risk anywhere, the place to do it is on a young QB who has already had a breakout season.
You're lost in this league without a QB and I'm not sure McNabb is factoring that in. It was a staggering amount of money given what Stafford has actually done over the last 4 years, but it's a risk Detroit has to take. What's the alternative? Trade him away? Let him walk? That's just not going to happen.