On Tuesday, the Philadelphia Eagles ended their highly publicized quarterback competition. Head coach Chip Kelly announced that Michael Vick would start under center and the team planned to stick with him for the entire season. The Eagles have four quarterbacks on the roster and almost immediately, people questioned whether backup Nick Foles would get traded prior to the season starting. As of now, the Eagles have no such plans.
Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that team sources are saying the Eagles are not trading away Foles and will keep him for the entire season as Vick's backup. Trade rumors had been swirling around Foles for most of the offseason. Many believed that whichever quarterback lost the competition would eventually be out of Philadelphia. Former head coach Andy Reid even admitted that he inquired about the availability of Foles during the NFL Combine. The Eagles shot that down.
It makes sense that the Eagles would hold on to Foles. Vick has only managed to play every game of a full season once in his 10-year career. He is one of the most injury-prone quarterbacks in the league, suffering everything from a concussion to broken ribs. This has given Foles plenty of playing time. Given the talent of Foles, he is an excellent replacement for Vick who will most likely miss at least one start this season.
If Foles was traded, the Eagles would be relying on rookie Matt Barkely and Dennis Dixon. Kelly has stressed that having two NFL starters on the roster is important. Foles has fared well this preseason, completing 11 of 14 passes for 96 yards. He does have an interception to his name, but will be clutch in the regular season.
Vick and Foles truly did battle it out for the starting spot. While Vick was always primed to win the spot given on experience, Foles proved worthy to earn the job. Kelly is insisting the team is done rotating and Vick will spend the rest of the season as the No. 1 guy.
"It's not a one-game trial basis," Kelly said. "I would think it was a thorough evaluation. ... We felt like we had a good amount of tape, us seeing them on the field and us seeing them in a lot of different situations. We wanted to put a guy in place - if we could - in enough time to prepare us for the season."
Vick had a strong preseason in his two games. He went 13-for-15 for 199 yards and a touchdown. The quarterback told the media the spot was not handed to him and he really felt like he earned the job.