30 NFL players you won’t believe never won an award

18. Donovan McNabb
Pro Football Hall of Fame: Currently Eligible

If you weren’t there to witness it, Donovan McNabb’s career is really hard to explain. He was incredible on the field, but something was off. The vibes were definitely off, but the Philadelphia Eagles were still always one of the best teams in the NFL. McNabb was not this typical quarterback who oozed charisma whether he had a personality or not. It did not help that he was playing in Philadelphia, where the media and fans were constantly putting immense pressure on him to win.

And McNabb won. A lot. From 2000 to 2004, McNabb won 54 of his 73 starts. He won double-digit games in every season except 2002, but that’s because he missed six games. He went 7-3 in 10 starts and the Eagles once again made the playoffs. They won the NFC East in every season from 2001 to 2006, except the very strange 2005 season, where they tanked to the bottom of the standings. 

It’s not like McNabb wasn’t putting up great stats during this run. He was a Pro Bowler every year during the main run from 2001 to 2004. He finished second in MVP voting in 2000 to the eye-popping season from Marshall Faulk and the Greatest Show on Turf. 

McNabb’s career with the Eagles ended as most expected. There was a whimper as the team signed Michael Vick out of jail. He outplayed McNabb eventually, and he was sent to Washington. There, he was awful, and he was equally as bad in Minnesota. We don’t know if the pressure got to him, but we felt like with so much on this man’s shoulders at all times, he would at least get a little recognition at the end of the season.