Aikman Almost an Eagle?

In 2002 during a game against the Arizona Cardinals, Donovan McNabb suffered a broken fibula, and would miss the last six weeks of the season. Koy Detmer filled in for McNabb before he himself suffered an injury, and AJ Feely came in to stem the tide the rest of the way. McNabb eventually returned, and the Eagles went on that season to lose to the Buccaneers in the NFC championship game, but how different would the season have turned out if Troy Aikman became the replacement for the injured McNabb? An absurd scenario I know, but according to the former Cowboys Hall-of-Fame signal caller, that almost became a reality.

Troy Aikman joined a Dallas radio station KESN 103.3 and recanted an interesting conversation he had, with then Eagles head coach Andy Reid, admidst the middle of a Fox Sports broadcast in San Diego. According to The Dallas Morning News, Aikman was asked to call Andy Reid at half time, of the game he was calling. Having retired in 2000, it had been some time since Aikman laced up the cleats, and hit the field. Andy was interested to know, if Aikman wanted to give it one last go.

"[Reid] said, 'Hey, did you hear what happened.' I said, 'Yeah, we did a game break.' He said, 'Well I want to talk to you about coming to Philadelphia,'" Aikman recalled. "I said, 'Andy, we're in the middle of a broadcast. It's halftime right now.' He said, 'I know, I'm watching the game.' So I said, 'OK, I'll call you after the game."

As we all know, Aikman declined the Eagles offer to return, citing his desire to stay in the booth, and the rest is history. Given how free agency has altered today's landscape in professional sports, where less and less players finish out their career with the team that drafted them, it still would have been very strange if Aikman accepted Reids offer, and joined the Eagles......about as strange as it was watching McNabb in a Redskins uniform.

Would you have welcomed Aikman to the Eagles with open arms?