McNabb still starting in Philly

Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid announced this morning that Donovan McNabb would start on Thanksgiving against Arizona despite being pulled from yesterday’s loss to Baltimore.

Sal Paolantonio on ESPN this afternoon expressed curiosity about why the Eagles would return to McNabb since it’s a virtual certainty the team will trade or release him in the offseason.

I disagree with Paolantonio’s take on that. The Eagles are 5-5-1 after yesterday’s loss but if they can beat Arizona, they play three of their final four games against division foes. This still gives the team an outside shot at the playoffs – and if the Eagles are going to make the postseason, it’s unlike it will be with Kevin Kolb at the helm.

Kolb entered in the second half of the Ravens game and threw an interception that Ed Reed returned 108 yards for a touchdown. But that shouldn’t dim anyone’s views on how he will do as the team’s likely future starter. Many quarterbacks young and old have been made to look foolish by the Ravens’ always tough defense.

There apparently is little question that Kolb will get his shot sooner rather than later, and if the Eagles fall out of the race with another loss, it will likely come this year. But he’s had few reps in practice with the first team and on a short week it’d be a bad move to stick him out there on national television for big game.

If the Eagles are going to get hot and make a run this season Reid made the right move – he must hope that McNabb takes the benching as a wakeup call because the veteran is the only signal caller with a chance to take the Eagles on a late-season run.