National Football League
McNabb: Tebow needs to get off Twitter
National Football League

McNabb: Tebow needs to get off Twitter

Published Mar. 30, 2012 1:00 a.m. ET

Donovan McNabb continued carving out a career as an outspoken TV commentator Friday, leveling some criticism in the direction of Tim Tebow.

McNabb was back on ESPN's "First Take" following a controversial Thursday appearance during which he criticized Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan.

The six-time Pro Bowl quarterback switched gears Friday, saying Tim Tebow should get off Twitter and that he, not the new Jets backup signal caller, was the most unfairly criticized quarterback in the history of the NFL.

When the subject of a recent Twitter message was brought up, in which Tebow thanked Broncos fans for their support and promised Jets fans he would play his heart out for them, McNabb said the popular quarterback needed to start studying football and take a break from social media.

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"Let it go. At some point let's focus on getting into camp and learning a new offense," McNabb said. "There's no need to keep trying to have the fans behind you.

"Every time that we look up there's something. He's reaching out to fans, telling them 'I love you, I'm working hard.'

"As an NFL player, and as a veteran in this game, no one cares what you're doing during the offseason," McNabb continued. "They only care about what you do on the football field. This is why a lot of people in the Denver Broncos locker room had an issue [with Tebow]."

McNabb got even testier when commentator Skip Bayless said Tebow was "the most unfairly, over-criticized quarterback" in league history.

"Negative — I am, I am," McNabb responded. "Nobody has been criticized as much as I have."

The 35-year-old free agent was clearly pointing to his 11 years in Philadelphia, where the fans and media grew frustrated with his efforts on the field after the 2005 Super Bowl loss to New England.

McNabb, who was traded to the Redskins in 2010 before heading to Minnesota in 2011, has been benched in each of the past two seasons. He was yanked by the Vikings last season after a 1-5 start.

In his blasting of Shanahan on Thursday, McNabb said he was "misused" during his year in Washington, in which he started 13 games, throwing for 14 touchdowns and 15 interceptions with a 77.1 passer rating.

He also criticized Shanahan and his son Kyle — the Redskins offensive coordinator — saying their egos would get in the way of a successful career for Heisman winner Robert Griffin III, who Washington is expected to select with the second overall pick in next month's NFL Draft.
 

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