As the Eagles get the first few days of camp under their belts, the whirlwind of speculation about the 2008 season has officially gone into overdrive. The division is tough, can we top the Cowboys? Is this a playoff team again? How many wins are there on this schedule? But despite looking too far ahead to the season, and ignoring the headline stories: Andrews is AWOL, Westbrook is without a new deal, Samuel is day-to-day, and Sheppard is still mad…I’m very interested in another story, one concerning the player that will again make or break this team. No, I’m not talking about number 36, but rather number 5: Donovan McNabb.

Last year, McNabb’s time in an Eagles uniform seemed all but certain to end, however his recent rejuvenation and healing, coupled with full support (for now) from the front office and coaches have solidified his spot yet again as the teams quarterback. There are a number of things that could happen this season with the end result being McNabb’s departure and the start of the Kevin Kolb era. Going into 2008, with a revamped defense and still a pretty potent offense, the Eagles quarterback chosen to the 75th anniversery team by the fans last year, Donovan McNabb, is ultimately in a losing situation no matter how this season turns out.

The first situation that could happen is that Donovan stays healthy for the entire year but the team finishes out of the playoffs at 8-8 or maybe 9-7. He was recently quoted as saying the playoffs are like “riding a bike”, and if the Eagles go this season with under 10 wins, McNabb has all but fallen off the bike. If he stays healthy and the team misses the playoffs it’s almost certain that it wasn’t entirely his fault. But at the same time, he will take almost all the blame. Donovan has always been too sensitive in a sports world that doesn’t allow players to show their weaknesses, and it’s led to him becoming an easy scapegoat even when he has played well. Miss the playoffs, and Kevin Kolb is the new quarterback, no matter what numbers Donovan puts up.

Another injury will end McNabb's career in Philly (Al Bello/Getty Images)

The second situation the Eagles could face is one where McNabb gets injured. Now, it could be a week-to-week type of injury or a season ending injury. My train of thought tells me that either one results in the end of the McNabb era in Philly. Football is a terrible sport in that players can be in their prime for only 3 or 4 years before being literally ousted from the sport entirely. It’s a rough game but it’s also a business, and the Eagles brass know that. If he goes down again with any sort of injury, especially to his lower body, I just can’t see the team taking yet another chance on this 31-year old (32 on November 25th) quarterback.

A third situation is that Donovan stays relatively healthy the whole 2008 campaign, leads the Birds back to the playoffs, but loses. I’m not just talking about losing in the wild card round, this could be a divisional loss, a championship round loss, or even the Super Bowl. Players are measured by their numbers but probably more importantly by their rings. Donovan McNabb is a fantastic quarterback when you sit back and look at his numbers and the success he has brought to this franchise. But in a city literally starving for championships and willing to do anything to get one, there is no time to think 100 percent rationally at what number 5 has done or could do in the future. It’s all about winning the big one, and he hasn’t proved he can do that. A playoff loss, in any round, would also most likely signal the end of the Donovan McNabb era in Philadelphia as critics will say that he is still unable to take that extra step, that he can’t get over the hump. Is it fair? Probably not. But when the last championship was 1983 by the Sixers, and the Eagles haven’t won since 1960, even the strongest Donovan supporters (I have been a staunch one for years) might be willing to let go and let the kid, Kevin Kolb, try his luck.

Anything short of XLIII could spell the end for D-Mac (AP/Rusty Kennedy)

A while back there was a fan written letter on Yardbarker to Donovan McNabb. It’s not often in the world of big-time athletes and professional sports that a regular fan can get his letter/thoughts answered by the desired athlete, but Donovan answered (scroll down to comment 15.2.1 in the link). The letter expressed the thoughts that I like to believe many Eagles fans share: McNabb has been beat up year after year by the media and the fans. Sometimes it’s been fair, often it’s been unfair. But some people might not fully realize the success and winning ways this guy has brought to the Philadelphia Eagles franchise, his presence has made this city damn proud of their football team again. The letter expressed that we as fans are mostly behind him. It was a nice thing to see, and even neater that Donovan answered and thanked the fan and his supporters.

But no open letter on a sports blog forum will ultimately save this quarterback. His back is against the wall and he isn’t getting any younger. He’ll be 32 by year’s end and if he gets hurt or falls short in the playoffs again, he will be ushered out as Eagles quarterback, replaced by Kolb. This year is a rebound year for this team, a chance to prove they still have some pop in not just the NFC East, but the NFL. But this is more than just a rebound year for number 5, it’s most likely his last year taking snaps in Philly. There are so many situations that could happen this season, and all of them are losing ones for Donovan. Well…maybe he can stick around a little while longer, it’s a simple fix: win Super Bowl 43.