Ever sliced a drive so bad it rattles around in the woods for years? NFL front offices know that feeling. Franchise-altering choices echo through decades, leaving fans wondering "what if" like a golfer replaying that missed three-foot putt. Some moves sting briefly. Others fester like a phantom limb.
In Philadelphia, where passion runs deeper than a cheesesteak’s grease, two decisions still spark heated debates at the Linc. One involves a beloved coach. The other? A superstar runner snatched from a bitter rival. The question isn’t just who got away... but which escape hurt the most.
Donovan McNabb just fired both barrels
The Eagles legend didn’t mince words when asked, Was New York’s Saquon Barkley blunder worse than Philly letting former head coach Andy Reid walk over a decade ago?
“To be honest with you, I'll say the Eagles losing Andy,” McNabb declared to Fox News. "With Saquon, it’s new, it’s fresh. But I go back... look at what Andy has done now and what possibly he could have done if given a little bit more time with Philadelphia. I think Andy would probably rank first in that decision that they made."
Ouch!
That’s like saying trading Babe Ruth was just a warm-up act. McNabb knows both pains intimately. Philly traded him in 2010. Then, they dumped Reid in 2012 after a grim 4-12 season. Reid’s exit felt like turning off a flickering bulb. Until the Kansas City Chiefs plugged him in, he suddenly became a spotlight: three Super Bowl wins, two more appearances, and Patrick Mahomes was molded under his watch.
Reid’s numbers scream "mistake" louder than a Rocky training montage
The irony? Philly did rebound. They beat Reid’s Chiefs in February’s Super Bowl LIX . But McNabb’s point lingers like stale stadium beer: “There's a couple mistakes they made. I was first, and Andy Reid followed.” Meanwhile, the Giants’ Barkley blunder is fresher than a Wawa hoagie.
The Barkley Factor
Letting him walk to Philly wasn’t just a fumble—it was a pick-six. Barkley bulldozed for 2,005 regular-season yards, broke the Eagles’ rushing record, and carried them to a Lombardi Trophy. McNabb’s verdict? “They [Giants] made a real big mistake, and I think it's going to cost them.” Talk about adding insult to injury.
Barkley isn’t just winning—he’s rubbing it in. He’s the first Eagle on Madden’s cover since McNabb (2005), flashing his iconic “reverse hurdle” move 13. Even Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith gushed, “Most definitely” an MVP candidate, slamming the NFL’s “biased” quarterback obsession. Yet McNabb insists Philly’s Reid error cuts deeper. Why? Time.
Reid’s exit created a 12-year shadow of dominance elsewhere. Barkley’s revenge? It’s still unfolding. The truth is, both choices are tectonic.
Like trading Wayne Gretzky or letting Reggie White walk, they redefine franchises for generations. Reid became a dynasty architect. Barkley became Philly’s engine. The Eagles won titles post-Reid, yes. But imagining Reid with those rosters? That’s the ghost that won’t quit. As Twain might say: “History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” Especially in the NFL.
