What happened to Mike Shanahan?

For a moment in early 2009, it looked as if Mike Shanahan was in line to become the Kansas City Chiefs’ next head coach. Just a week before the Shanahan rumor surfaced, the Chiefs had hired away general manager Scott Pioli from the New England Patriots, where he was one of the architects of the team’s three Super Bowl wins.

Just like Pioli was the NFL’s prized general manager candidate, Shanahan — who was fired by Broncos owner Pat Bowlen on Dec. 31, 2008 — was the golden goose among available coaches. The winner of two Super Bowls and the owner of a 146-98 career record, Shanahan was viewed a can’t-fail head coach.

ICONMike Shanahan signed a five-year, $35-million contract with Washington on Jan. 6.

So as a Chiefs fan, I was sufficiently ecstatic. Between Pioli and Shanahan, Clark Hunt would’ve brought the winners of five Super Bowls to Kansas City — a franchise that hasn’t won a championship in 40 years.

Shanahan, of course, never came to Kansas City. The Chiefs hired Todd Haley instead and now sit at 9-5 with a one-game lead in the AFC West. Shanahan didn’t coach in 2009, and was lured out of unemployment by Redskins’ owner Dan Snyder on Jan. 6.

Perhaps more accurately, a five-year, $35 million deal dragged Shanahan from the golf course to the sideline.

At the time, I don’t remember reading a single negative comment about the hire. Shanahan was still the golden goose among available coaches. A year off hadn’t changed that. For once, it seemed, Snyder got a high-priced free-agent acquisition right.

Certainly, it’s too early to call the Shanahan experiment a complete failure, but a 5-9 record doesn’t look good. Neither does feuding with your star quarterback (Donovan McNabb) and Snyder’s star free agent of 2009 (Albert Haynesworth).

To better understand Shanahan and the Redskins’ tumultuous year, here’s a timeline:

April 5: The Redskins and Eagles agree to a trade, sending McNabb from Philadelphia to Washington. For McNabb, Shanahan — who is also the team’s executive vice president and has the ultimate authority on all football decisions — gives up a second-rounder in the 2010 draft and a fourth-rounder in 2011.

July 29: Shanahan starts trotting out Haynesworth in front of the media for the defensive tackle’s much-publicized conditioning test. Nine days later, Haynesworth passes his conditioning test.

And this wasn’t a relationship doomed from the start?

ICONMike Shanahan thought Rex Grossman gave the Redskins "the best chance to win" against Detroit.

Oct. 31: Shanahan benches McNabb late in the Redskins’ game against Detroit, saying, “I thought (Rex Grossman) gave us the best chance to win.” 

I mean, seriously? That statement is indefensible, especially when he’s referencing a two-minute situation in the fourth quarter. Washington loses to Detroit, 37-25.

Nov. 2: In an interview during the team’s bye week with ESPN 980 in D.C., Shanahan calls McNabb out of shape and questions the quarterback’s knowledge of the playbook.

Nov. 9: McNabb, back from a trip to his Arizona home, has his turn on ESPN 980. In reference to him not understanding the playbook, he says, “That is hilarious to me. That is really funny to me. I think for everyone who may not have heard any of this, it’s probably a shock to them.”

Nov. 15: The Redskins sign McNabb to a five-year contract extension worth approximately $78 million total and $40 million guaranteed, according to McNabb’s agent, Fletcher Smith.

This is Dan Snyder and Mike Shanahan’s version of damage control.

Nov. 17: An NFLPA source leaks to ESPN that McNabb can be cut after the 2010 season with only a $3.75-million payment. Basically, the Redskins’ guaranteed McNabb $40 million without actually guaranteeing him $40 million.

I have to say this is a brilliant — albeit alienating — move by Shanahan. If McNabb improves his play in the latter half of the season, the ‘Skins have him tied up for five years. If not, Shanahan can cut him a $3.75-million check and show him the door.

ICONAlbert Haynesworth and Mike Shanahan's relationship has been rocky from the start.

Dec. 7: The Redskins suspend Haynesworth for the final four games without pay for conduct detrimental to the team.

Dec. 17: Shanahan benches McNabb (again) in favor of Grossman, saying, “I also told (McNabb) that I cannot guarantee him that he will be back next year.”

So much for that $40 million.

Dec. 21: On his weekly ESPN 980 radio show, McNabb says, “Everything was handled awkwardly — somewhat to a disrespect to me and to the team.”

To recap: Shanahan traded second- and fourth-round picks to a team within his own division for a 34-year-old quarterback. He promptly benched said quarterback in favor of Rex Grossman, only to give the quarterback an apparently monstrous deal 12 days later. Except, it wasn’t really a monstrous deal. It was a $3.75-million experiment. And now you get the feeling that $3.75-million experiment will end with Shanahan telling the quarterback, “We decided to move on.”

The real question: When does the historically impatient Snyder tell Shanahan the same thing?

Scott Miller is a senior at The University of Iowa and a contributor to the National Football Post. Follow him on Twitter: @stmillr.