Kyle Shanahan might be running his father's offense in Washington, but make no mistake: He's the one running the offense, according to Redskins tight end Chris Cooley.
"It's his show, totally, it's his deal," Cooley said at NFL Network headquarters Wednesday before appearing on "NFL Total Access." "I would assume on game day that if Mike wanted something run, he'd call it, but they're on the same page."
The mounting empowerment of Kyle Shanahan surfaced last season when starting quarterback Donovan McNabb was benched in the waning moments of an Oct. 31 game against the Detroit Lions in favor of Rex Grossman.
Grossman, who was with the Houston Texans with Kyle Shanahan in 2009 and came to Washington with him last year, was more familiar with the system and the way the coordinator wanted it executed. Grossman started the final three games of the season while McNabb was demoted to third team.
The familiarity between the two men is expected to result in Grossman, a free agent, being re-signed by the Redskins. McNabb's future in Washington appears non-existent.
Cooley said he's not privy to staff meetings about personnel and how much say Kyle has in terms of who plays, but "(Mike Shanahan) trusts Kyle." Translation: Kyle has input.
Like most of us, Cooley doesn't expect McNabb to be back with the Redskins after his tumultuous 2010 season. He added that he has no idea who the starting quarterback will be. Mike Shanahan said John Beck, who was the No. 3 quarterback most of last season before being elevated in conjunction with Grossman, will contend for the starting job.
Other than McNabb, who is expected to be traded or cut, Beck is the only quarterback on Washington's roster. Grossman, a free agent, has been told by the team that they'd like to have him back, and he has joined Beck in leading offseason workouts. Cooley said he believed Grossman played well under the circumstances last season and added that Beck will be given a legitimate shot.
Cooley, in his typical unfiltered manner, added that no one, including players, should be surprised at any uncertainty regarding the Redskins' quarterback situation.
"A lot of guys would tell you, it's crazy, but it's up in the air who's going to be our quarterback, what's going to happen," Cooley, a seven-year veteran said. "We're running a new offense almost every year I've played. I just say, 'It's the Washington Redskins, and we'll figure it out.'
"The biggest thing right now is the lockout. John is our only quarterback on the roster (other than McNabb). It's tougher for someone like Rex right now having to trust the last conversation he had with them saying, 'We want you back.' He's got to think I'm going to show up and I might be the guy, but until they sign him, you don't know."
