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Reid's call: McNabb 'a great player,' will be an Eagle next season

PHILADELPHIA -- No. 5 will return to the Eagles for a 12th season.

Eagles coach Andy Reid squelched speculation about Donovan McNabb's future, saying Monday that the five-time Pro Bowl quarterback will be back with the team next season.

"That's my call," Reid said. "I think he's a great player. His work over the last 11 years has proven that. I truly believe it's a team sport; it's not one guy."

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McNabb's status was questioned because he has one year left on his contract and he has failed to lead Philadelphia to a Super Bowl victory in 11 seasons. McNabb has led the Eagles to five NFC title games -- going 1-4 -- and one Super Bowl appearance.

McNabb had one of his finest seasons in 2009, but he struggled badly in consecutive losses to Dallas. The Cowboys beat the Eagles 34-14 on Saturday night in an NFC wild-card playoff game.

After the loss, McNabb said he wanted to return to Philadelphia. He also said he's open to discussing a contract extension. The Eagles reworked the final two years of McNabb's deal last summer, giving him a $5.3 million raise. That would seem to make it unlikely they would extend his contract beyond 2010.

"He got a nice little kick for the next few years here in salary," Reid said.

The Eagles also have quarterbacks Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick on their roster. Kolb filled in nicely when McNabb was hurt in the season opener, becoming the first QB in history to throw for 300 yards in his first two career starts. Vick played a limited role in short-yardage situations in his first year back in the NFL after sitting out two seasons because of his imprisonment for his role in a dogfighting operation.

"I don't want to give up any of them. I like them all," Reid said of the three QBs. "Can Kevin Kolb play in the National Football League? Absolutely. Can Kevin Kolb be a starter in National Football League? Absolutely. The other two guys have proven that. They've been top quarterbacks in this league for years."

Kolb also will enter the final season of his contract. The Eagles hold a $5.2 million option on Vick. He might have increased his trade value with a 76-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin in the playoff loss to the Cowboys.

"We'll look at all this," Reid said. "I haven't gotten to that point where I'm comparing players and contracts. We like Kevin Kolb. We like Michael Vick. We like Donovan McNabb. It's a pretty good situation to be in as we go into the offseason."

McNabb threw for 3,553 yards and 22 touchdowns with 10 interceptions in 14 games this season. His passer rating of 92.9 was the third-highest in his career.

In a 24-0 regular-season-ending loss that cost Philadelphia the NFC East title and a first-round playoff bye, McNabb was 20-of-36 passing for 223 yards. He misfired on a couple throws, including a deep pass to a wide-open DeSean Jackson.

In the playoff loss to the Cowboys, McNabb was 19 of 37 for 230 yards and one TD with one interception. Most of those completions came late in the game after Dallas had the game in hand.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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