McNabb retires as Eagle, will have number retired vs. Reid and Chiefs

PHILADELPHIA - Moments after Donovan McNabb retired as an Eagle, team owner Jeffrey Lurie announced he will be inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame and have his No. 5 retired by the team on Sept.  19 against Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs.

"The number '5' has become synonymous with one of the greatest eras of Eagles football," said Lurie, "And ensuring that no one else will ever wear Donovan's number, we honor one of the greatest playmakers to ever wear an Eagles uniform."

"As a person, Donovan is also an all-time great," said Eagles President Don Smolenski. "He treated everyone in the organization with care and respect. We all shared so many great moments with him over the years and it is an honor to be able to recognize him with our fans on Sept. 19."

Perhaps the most accomplished passer in franchise history, McNabb is at the top of nearly every passing category in the Eagles all-time annals. The Syracuse product is the club's all-time leader in pass attempts (4,746), completions (2,801), yards (32,873) and touchdowns (216), and he became one of just four players in NFL history to amass 30,000 passing yards, 200 TD passes, 3,000 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns in his career, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers John Elway, Fran Tarkenton and Steve Young.

Despite throwing the ball more than any other signal caller in team history, McNabb ranks fourth in NFL history in interception percentage, throwing a pick on only 2.25 percent of all passes.

A six-time Pro Bowler, McNabb, 37, served as the field general during one of the most successful eras of Eagles football, leading the team to five NFC East division championships, five NFC Championship games, including four consecutive conference championship appearances from 2002-05, and an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIX.

The winningest quarterback in team history, he was a constant presence under center in Philadelphia, appearing in more games (148) in an Eagles uniform than any other quarterback in team history. As a result of his play, he was selected as the starting quarterback on the Eagles 75th anniversary team in a vote by the fans.

"Donovan McNabb was a franchise-changing quarterback for the Eagles and helped raise the bar of success for this franchise during his 11-year tenure with the team," said Lurie. "On the field, the numbers that Donovan posted during his time in an Eagles uniform speak for themselves.

"He is the franchise leader in nearly every major passing category and is the all-time winningest quarterback in Eagles history. His unique ability to make plays through the air and with his legs made him one of the most dynamic players this city has ever seen. Donovan was the face and the focal point of so many of our great Eagles teams and he helped make this franchise a contender each and every year that he was here."

The second overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft, McNabb took the reins of the franchise late in his rookie season, starting six of the final seven contests in 1999, while becoming the first Eagles rookie draft pick to start at quarterback since John Reeves in 1972.

In 2000, McNabb accounted for 74.6 percent of the team's total net yards (third in the NFL) and quickly staked his claim as one of the brightest young stars in the league, earning the first of five consecutive Pro Bowl berths while finishing second in NFL MVP voting.

With McNabb under center, the Eagles would win four consecutive division titles from 2001-04, culminating in an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIX where he threw for 357 yards on 30-of-58 passing.

In 2008, McNabb further cemented his place in Eagles history as he established single-season franchise records in passing yardage (3,916), completions (345) and attempts (571) while surpassing Ron Jaworski as the team's all-time leader in touchdown passes, passing yards and attempts. The following season, McNabb would be selected to his sixth Pro Bowl in what was his final season with the Eagles.

Entering the 2013 NFL season, McNabb ranks among the NFL's top-25 quarterbacks all-time in wins (12th), career passing yardage (17th), career passing touchdowns (22nd), attempts (14th), completions (14th), passer rating (24th) and interception percentage (4th). McNabb also set an NFL record in 2004 with 24 consecutive completions. In addition, he is one of only three players in NFL history with over 35,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards, along with Hall of Famers John Elway and Fran Tarkenton.

"As a general manager, you are always on the lookout for a player like Donovan," said Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman. "He was a guy who poured everything he had into becoming the best player that he could possibly be. You could count on Donovan to bring it, day-in and day-out, no matter what the circumstances were.

"The game against Arizona in 2002, when he led us to a win despite playing with a broken ankle, is something I will never forget. He represented this franchise and this city with class."