McNabb-Banner meeting on contract
February 25
Philadelphia Inquirer
"An NFL source last night confirmed reports of a meeting last week between Donovan McNabb and Eagles team president Joe Banner to begin discussions on a contract extension. However, the source said the meeting did not include coach Andy Reid or the quarterback's agent, Fletcher Smith, as some reports suggested.According to the source, the Eagles were surprised by an ESPN.com report Monday that said McNabb told the team he might delay negotiating a contract extension until he sees how the team upgrades its offense during the off-season. The report also implied McNabb might ask for a trade if he's not given more weapons to run the offense.The Eagles yesterday declined comment on the matter. Smith also offered no comment in a text message response.McNabb has two years remaining on his contract, which is worth $9.2 million next season and $10 million in 2010.Following his benching at halftime of the Eagles' 36-7 loss to Baltimore on Nov. 23, McNabb said more than once that he wanted to discuss his future with team management after the season.While in Indianapolis at the NFL scouting combine, Reid said he and McNabb had discussed the benching and indicated they were on good terms."We've already talked about it," Reid said on Friday. "I met with him right after the [Baltimore] game. Through communication, he knows where he stands. I think the world of the guy."But Reid said the kind of meeting McNabb wanted, presumably to discuss his contract, had yet to take place, when in fact it did last Tuesday. Before it was leaked to ESPN.com, Smith also denied a meeting had taken place. "His statement wasn't to talk to me," Reid said Friday. "It was to kind of talk to everybody. We'll get that done."The day after the Baltimore game, Reid had a fairly long meeting with McNabb, who returned as the starter and helped the team advance to the NFC championship game for the fifth time in the last eight years."
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