McNabb Back On Field Early

If you're a Philadelphia Eagles fan, you have a reason to smile. As does head coach Andy Reid and owner Jeff Laurie.

Donovan McNabb is back on the field, earlier than expected, as the the Eagles opened up their mandatory minicamp on Monday.

The five-time Pro Bowl quarterback participated in non-contact drills in his first action on the field since he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee last Nov. 19.

"It felt great to get back out there on the field with all of the guys," McNabb said. "It's just part of the rehab process and hopefully good things will continue to come. It's important to continue to monitor my progress, but also be smart about the whole situation."

McNabb rehabbed vigorously since his latest injury ended his season early for the third time in five years. He had been throwing on the side for weeks and simulating practice movements, but hadn't been expected to take part in drills with the team until training camp opened next month.

McNabb even stayed on the field after individual drills to work with the first team offense.

That's good news for Reid, who despite having veterans A.J. Feely and Kelly Holcomb in the fold, would love to see McNabb line up under center on opening day. Also in camp is second round draft pick Kevin Kolb.

"He's where we hoped he would be," coach Andy Reid said. "He worked very hard to get to this spot, so we let him test it out. We didn't give him too much. We want to make sure he can move around tomorrow, if possible. So we gave him a few shots and got him back to the ice tub. I thought he did a nice job. He looked strong."

The Eagles will practice three more days before breaking camp until July 27. McNabb's status for the rest of the week is day to day.

McNabb was having one of the best seasons of his career before he was injured against the Tennessee Titans, throwing for 2,647 yards and 18 touchdowns for a quarterback rating of 95.5 in 10 games.

If McNabb is 100 percent by September and stays healthy, something he hasn't been able to do in recent seasons, the Eagles are legitimate Super Bowl contenders.