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Fletcher Smith Thinks Donovan McNabb’s Treatment Was Beyond Disrespectful

Last Friday, Mike Shanahan made the decision to bench quarterback Donovan McNabb in favor of starting former Florida Gator Rex Grossman.  While the Washington Redskins were unsuccessful against the Dallas Cowboys, losing a tight 33-30 game in Dallas, Grossman looked good, accumulating 322 yards in the air and 4 touchdowns.  That will not stop his agent, Fletcher Smith, from criticizing the decision made by the Redskins’ brass.

Prior to Sunday’s game, Smith said the following,

“Disrespectful is probably not strong enough of a word. Donovan has handled himself with nothing but class, not just in Washington but as an ambassador for the league. To treat him this way … it’s beyond disrespectful.”

“I almost don’t even know where to begin, but it really started with Detroit and it was just wrong the way Donovan was treated. Just the way Mike [Shanahan] handled the whole situation in Detroit, and in almost every instance since that time, and this is, I guess, the culmination of that. I think it’s … again, it’s beyond disrespectful.”

Remember that McNabb contract extension reportedly worth $78 million, with $40 million guaranteed that Smith had his client sign back in November?  There really was only $3.5 million guaranteed for 2010.  That’s it.  It seems as though the Redskins fully expected that McNabb would not be the starting quarterback in 2011.  That $78 million deal sure sounded pretty on paper, though.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Heitner created Sports Agent Blog as a New Year's Resolution on December 31, 2005. Originally titled, "I Want To Be A Sports Agent," the website was founded with the intention of causing Heitner to learn more about the profession that he wanted to join, meet reputable individuals in the space and force himself to stay on top of the latest news and trends.

Heitner now runs Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., which is a law firm with many practice areas, including sports law and contract law. Heitner has represented numerous athletes and sports agents as legal counsel. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington from 2011-2014, where he created and taught a course titled, Sport Agency Management, which included subjects ranging from NCAA regulations to athlete agent certification and the rules governing the profession. Heitner serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where he teaches a Sports Law class that includes case law surrounding athlete agents and the NCAA rules.

4 replies on “Fletcher Smith Thinks Donovan McNabb’s Treatment Was Beyond Disrespectful”

If the Redskins release him prior to the first game of next season, they do not owe him anything more than the $3.5 million bonus he received this year. Other teams would not be bound by the Redskins’ contract.

If McNabb were playing better, would his agent stop whining then?
This game is about winning. McNabb has lost his touch. Stop whining.

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