Donovan McNabb disputed reports that he would have considered retirement had he been traded to the Oakland Raiders.
Asked by guest host Ryen Rusillo on th Scott Van Pelt Show on ESPN Radio what he would have done had he been acquired by the Raiders, McNabb said, I would have been at the workouts and working out with the team, throwing and trying to get the timing down with the corps of receivers and running backs they have and communicated with the offensive line to get ready for minicamp."
When asked about reports that said he was threatening to retire, McNabb laughed and then went on the offensive against media reports that rely on anonymous sources, much as he did during his news conference Tuesday.
“This is the problem with some of these so-called key analysts and these smart guys out there who go by `sources.’ So many people listen to different sources `close to’ the individual, but never the individual, saying that I would have not showed up in Oakland, I would have been upset," he said. "Hey, with my name always being in the media all the time because of trade talk, I’m just happy that it’s over. I don’t mind being on ESPN if it’s something positive for my play, not for where I’m going to land next. A lot of it was blown way out of proportion.”
Oakland Tribune NFL writer Jerry McDonald writes that McNabb was never a real option because the Raiders are trying to get younger. He reacted to McNabb's statements this way: This should help close the book on the McNabb-to-Raiders story, but don’t count on it. It will be commonly accepted that McNabb refused to come to Oakland, regardless of what he or anyone else says. It’s just one of those things the Raiders will have to endure until they change the storyline and start winning.
Interestingly, an interview with Comcast SportsNet, McNabb's agent, Fletcher Smith, seemed to indicate his involvement in the process began when reports surfaced about the Raiders and Buffalo Bills.
"The more we heard about the possibility that he could go to these teams, we worked together with the Eagles for what was a win-win for all parties – Donovan, the Eagles and ultimately the Washington Redskins," Smith said.
