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In the off-season of the NFL, off the wall remarks usually happen frequently and get fed to the media for hot topics. Surprisingly, this off-season has been quiet from an active players stand point. On the air though, Donovan McNabb has not been quiet on voicing his frustrations over player contracts. Both Tony Romo and Matthew Stafford inked extension deals with their respective teams.

In a league filled with an inordinate amount of young starting quarterbacks and an endless cycle of six to eight teams that are ever-changing the name of their starting quarterback, why wouldn’t those two teams ensure Romo and Stafford are kept aboard?

Syracuse fans are probably some of the most die-hard collegiate fans you will find across the country. I’m one myself. Donovan McNabb had a great career as a collegiate that extended until the age of roughly 33 in the NFL. His remarks and the way his career ended do not bode well with me. McNabb only 36 was basically forced into retirement as no other team took a chance on him after a botched last season with the Eagles, then the Redskins, and the awful ending in Minnesota.

Not to discredit McNabb’s entire career, but he got out of shape in the latter part of his career, when he should have been working to have somewhat of an edge on the field. Tom Brady is only a year younger than him, and Peyton Manning a year older. Neither has had their performance drop off as drastically as McNabb’s.

I hope McNabb’s bitterness of his football exit does not carry over to the booth. We’ll all see once the pre-season and regular season start in the NFL.

Contracts for mid-tier quarterbacks are not going to go away. They are the cornerstones of a franchise, even if an analyst such as McNabb does not agree. Sure, Romo and Stafford are not top tier quarterbacks but they both have more than enough capabilities of leading their teams without a running game. A balanced effort for both quarterbacks could pay dividends to success in terms of wins and losses, as well as cutting back their turnovers.

When Donovan McNabb is voicing proper feedback and analysis he can be a great asset to the NFL network. There will not be any other quarterbacks signing long term extensions in the preseason or regular season, so the next six months Donovan should be fine behind the microphone.