Chip Kelly is not about to name Nick Foles the future quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles because he is Chip Kelly. The second-year pro has tied a record with seven touchdown passes in one game. He followed that up by rattling off three more wins in a four-game win streak. As owner Jeffrey Lurie expresses his desire for a long-term quarterback, Kelly remains somewhat coy on whether that is Foles or not.
"Yeah, you hope," Kelly said, via 94WIP. "But - and I don't mean to be coy, I always say this - is that, you can say that whomever it is, is your player of the future and then next week they get hurt. You know, so, I hope Nick [Foles] is here for a long time. I'm a big supporter of him, I think he does a fantastic job, but we also know that injuries occur in this game and that's why I always qualify what I say. I love the kid and I think he's playing outstanding."
Kelly continued by saying that Foles will remain the starter for the "next 1000 years here. And if I'm wrong next week, I'm wrong." The coach stressed his belief to make the quarterback job a week-to-week arrangement because he believes that helps the team take games a week at a time.
Kelly is aware that injuries can certainly hurt the idea of a franchise quarterback. The Eagles coach referenced Aaron Rodgers when noting that a long-term quarterback is a tough job. The same can be said for current Eagles quarterback Michael Vick. A hamstring injury knocked him out of the starting lineup and now possibly out of a job all together.
After Foles and Vick competed throughout training camp in 2013, the veteran quarterback might not be a factor in 2014. Vick is working off a one-year deal and as Foles continues to improve, the likelihood the quarterback gets an extension is slim. The quarterback is 5-1 as a starter and the Eagles are 7-5, in the hunt for the playoffs.
"What you see with Nick [Foles] and kind of what you see with our entire team is that, they continue to gain confidence the more they get a chance to play. You can manufacture situations in practice as much as you want, but there's really no training that can simulate what goes on on the game field, with the crowd, with the emotions, with the outcome," Kelly said.
Foles appears to have the trust and respect the Eagles organization. After looking poised to draft someone in 2014, Foles could see his future with the Eagles become a lock towards the end of the season.