The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.)
PHILADELPHIA - No less of an authority on Donovan McNabb than his soup commercial co-star and mother, Wilma, has wondered in cyberspace what impact Jeff Garcia's continued success as the Philadelphia Eagles' fill-in quarterback could have on her son's future with the team.
In a blog posted Wednesday on her son's personal Web site, , Wilma McNabb even went so far as to characterize her feelings after the Eagles' victory over the Cowboys without her son as "bittersweet," and wondered "if they win the Superbowl (sic) without my son, what would be the real outcome with the fans?
Will they crucify him? Maybe, then the trade talks would begin. Offseason madness, worse than last year's (Terrell Owens-related) fiasco .
.."
In an apparent coincidence, those thoughts were posted the same day Garcia spoke at length for the first time about his relationship with McNabb, who is recovering from surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament tear he suffered Nov.
19.
Garcia noted that McNabb has visited the team's South Philly headquarters/practice facility almost daily since undergoing the surgery on Nov. 29.
"He's really focused and working toward getting himself to his normal health," Garcia said. "It's always good just to see Donovan in the training room, and be able to speak to him. We don't necessarily discuss football.
The main thing that he says to me is just, `Handle your business. Keep doing what you're doing.' And my main thing is to let him know that we are all in this together.
"
McNabb has not addressed the media since suffering the injury, and Eagles spokesman Derek Boyko said Wednesday that he does not plan to do so until the season is over.
So it is left to others to take educated guesses at what McNabb is thinking.
"Donovan is a grown man and he understands what's going," free safety Brian Dawkins said.
"I talk to him and, regardless of if we were (winning or) losing all these games, I still would talk with Donovan because he is a friend of mine and he is a leader of this team. He's excited for what's going on with us. He's not in the background, back-biting and being upset.
He is excited for what we are doing, and also excited for what people were saying we weren't going to be able to do without him."
Garcia was asked if he wonders if McNabb might be secretly rooting against him.
"I think about how I would be in his position, and I would be supportive of the team first and foremost," Garcia said.
"And hopefully, he is feeling the same way. I do believe that he is. I really believe that he is that type of guy.
"This is his position; I have a temporary hold on it," Garcia added. "I'm just trying to do the best possible job that I can to help this team win. And I think he's very supportive of that.
"
But each time the Eagles win with Garcia at quarterback - something that has happened the last four weeks - the closer they get to having to deal with issues that every NFL team should be fortunate enough to have, including:
_Will they be willing to pay the starter-type money that Garcia, as a free agent, could be able to command after helping to turn around the Eagles season?
_When McNabb returns from injury, does he automatically reclaim his job?
Garcia also will have to assess his options, which could come down to seeking work in another city where he knows he will likely will be the starter, or coming back to the Eagles as a quarterback who can figure on being No.
2 as soon as the franchise-type QB is healthy.
"I will really cross that bridge when the time comes," Garcia said. "It's not something that I'm too concerned with.
I feel that I will have employment somewhere next year, and I hope that it is here in Philadelphia.
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