Michael Vick has been very vocal about the Philadelphia Eagles being his team to lead and no one else's. He expects to be the starting quarterback like he has been the past few seasons. While youngster Nick Foles is sitting right behind, Vick is prepared to be under center Week 1 of the 2013 season. Head coach Chip Kelly has other plans, letting the two quarterbacks battle it out, something Vick is non-too thrilled about.
Vick and Foles are getting equal reps with the first-team offense. Kelly wants each player to have experience in every unit. Vick is aware that Foles is his competition and he is unhappy being forced to come off the field so the second-year quarterback can get some practice.
"It's tough. I have to continue to be professional and put my feeling and emotions to the side, and just continue to compete. But it's hard. I would be lying if I said it wasn't, but that's just what I have to deal with, and I'm going to keep dealing with it until I see otherwise," Vick said.
Vick said that he and Kelly have not discussed the issue. He trusts that the first-year NFL coach knows what he is doing with the quarterback competition and he does not plan on questioning that. What Vick is questioning is where he stands with the team and ranks amongst the other three quarterbacks sitting next to him.
"Always going to be a leader on this team, regardless of what my place is. I am confident that I continue to be a guy that is looked up to on this team and continue to play my role," Vick said.
Kelly is in no hurry to name a starting quarterback. He notoriously waited until the last minute to name a starter during his time at Oregon. He often waited until the week before the college season to create a team depth chart. Vick is hoping the coach hast a starter established by training camp.
"Hopefully, Chip makes a decision before training camp and we won't have to answer that question, so we can go out there as quarterbacks and just focus on the season and not answer questions about competition every day," Vick said.
The quarterback stressed that he would eventually stop answering questions regarding the competition between he and Foles, attempting to prevent any tension between the two to rise up. It is clear that the pressure of the competition is getting to Vick considering Kelly's methods are a bit more unconventional than those of Andy Reid.
