The quarterback situation for the Philadelphia Eagles is looking bleak. Michael Vick and Nick Foles are now injured leaving Matt Barkley the lone quarterback on the roster healthy enough to play. While Chip Kelly is normally coy on the starting quarterback each week, he is being very honest about Vick's chance to be on the field Week 9 forcing the rookie to once again step up.
Vick left Sunday's game against the New York Giants after aggravating a hamstring injury that has plagued the quarterback throughout the start of the season. Vick told reporters that he felt something pop in his leg and will undergo an MRI. The outlook is not positive and Kelly is stating the obvious about where the team is at with their quarterback play.
"Matt is healthy, so that's a positive," Kelly said on WIP, via the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I would think Mike would not be ready to go, and it depends on where Nick is. So we'll know early in the week which two guys we got to prepare for, one and two. Our first day of practice is [Tuesday]. We'll have a good understanding today. I know Nick will come in today and meet with [trainer] Chris Peduzzi and our doctors, and we'll have a good understanding of where Nick is this week and what's his availability."
Foles sat out Sunday with a concussion. The quarterback has yet to clear all of the required tests. Once he does that, an independent doctor will also have to evaluate and clear him for play. Until that happens, Barkley is the man in Philadelphia and could be the starter against the Oakland Raiders.
If Kelly is being honest, he will realize that Barkley is not ready to be a starting NFL quarterback. The rookie has been forced in to the spotlight the last two games for the Eagles and has struggled heavily in both chances. According to ESPN, his first four drives in the NFL have all resulted in a turnover. He put up three interceptions and one fumble. He finished with 158 yards passing against the Giants, going 17-for-28 in passing. Barkley is not a mobile quarterback and it is clear he does not fit into Kelly's system.
"I look up and I see guys are open...If we can't execute what we need to execute, just getting the ball on people when guys are getting open and giving them a chance to make plays, then I think that becomes real difficult," Kelly said via NJ.com.
The fate of the Eagles could rest on the pending health of Foles. If Vick's injury is as bad as a pop makes it sound, the quarterback could be out for the foreseeable future. Foles needs to be cleared or Barkley's struggles will plague Philadelphia for the time being.
