Campbell's Chance to Be Money Player

"I've coached the drill work on avoiding [the pass rush] and scrambling and things like that, but Jason has to go out and decide that he's going to run the play that was called. As a coach, you can call any play that you want. But if you can't trust the guy, then you get mixed feelings about calling a play. You call scared. You call the game scared, and it's tough to play that way."

Campbell has performed at his best late in games with outcomes in question: He has a 100.5 passer rating in fourth quarters and has teamed with receivers on many timely plays that provided the difference in Redskins victories.

"Man, having a quarterback who can make plays, keep the game close and manage the game, that's very important because this is quarterback league," defensive lineman Demetric Evans said. "Every team that has a good quarterback has a chance to win the [Super Bowl]. The teams that don't have good quarterbacks, they struggle, and I'm just glad we have a good one."

Generally, teams move quickly to extend the contracts of standout young quarterbacks because of the importance of the position. Campbell, who will turn 27 on Dec. 31, has two years remaining on his rookie contract. Because of escalator clauses, he has a base salary of $1,235,000 this season. Late last month, the Green Bay Packers rewarded quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who had not started a game in the NFL until this season, with a six-year, $65 million contract extension that reportedly guarantees him at least $20 million.

"That was great for Rodgers," Campbell said of a fellow first-round pick in the 2005 draft. "It showed that the Packers' organization is totally behind him.

"They believe he's a guy they can win with in the future and they have all the confidence in him. They just gave it to him so he can relax and focus on ball, just play and not feel pressure to make so many great plays, or do so many great things, in order to get that type of contract. He just has to go out there and be the quarterback. As a young quarterback, it's great to have that pressure taken off of you."

As of yesterday, the Redskins, who do not comment on contracts, had not initiated extension talks with Campbell's agent, Joel Segal.

Campbell said he would prefer to remain with Washington his entire career, and he hopes that Snyder and Vinny Cerrato, the team's executive vice president of football operations, are confident he is a good long-term fit, but "I can't worry about what other young quarterbacks out there are getting from their teams, or even try to compare my situation with other guys, because my whole focus right now is just about team goals.

"I'm always going to put the team, the team's success, ahead of anything with me. We've won some big games this year, and that's great, but my goal is to try to take us to the playoffs. If we keep winning, going out and playing like we're supposed to and get into these playoffs, everything will take care of itself. I'm a big believer in you get what you deserve when it's supposed to be given to you."