After agreeing to a hefty five year contract extension with Washington just a month ago, Donovan McNabb definitely had reason to believe that he’d be the starting quarterback for the Redskins going forward barring an injury serious enough to keep him off the field.

But while his $78.5 million dollar deal would seem to indicate a significant commitment to him on the part of Washington’s front office and coaching staff, only $3.5 million of that figure was guaranteed, leaving the door wide open for McNabb to be released at anytime with little repercussion to the team on the financial side.

That time may be coming sooner rather than later, as the Redskins have reportedly decided to bench McNabb for their game on Sunday against the Cowboys, promoting former Bears quarterback Rex Grossman to the starting position. McNabb has been fairly average statistically speaking over the past five games, matching his seven touchdowns with seven interceptions, while his team has struggled to a 1-4 mark over that same span.

Grossman has done little to show he’s capable of providing a more effective option, but for the time being it seems that head coach Mike Shanahan is more confident in his ability to lead the Redskins offense going forward, making it likely that McNabb’s career in Washington will be short lived.

If McNabb is released in the off-season, it’s doubtful that he’ll have to look hard for a new team to work for, as he’d be a hot commodity in a league that is constantly in search of quality starting quarterback play. Teams that would likely be interested in bringing McNabb on board include Minnesota, Cleveland, Oakland, Jacksonville, and Buffalo.

Other posts you may enjoy:

1. Redskins wake up, lock McNabb down with major extension
2. McNabb okay with return to Washington
3. McNabb tired of controversy, ready to move on
4. Shanahan on hot seat in Washington?
5. No change expected at quarterback for Vikings