Chip Kelly is pulling a Chip Kelly. Nick Foles put on a record-setting performance against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday and the head coach will still not name him the future starting quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite throwing for an NFL-tying seven touchdown passes, Kelly would only say that he will take first-team reps this week. Really, Chip?
Foles is still technically the backup quarterback. With Michael Vick out with a hamstring injury, Foles has earned the starting role last week and likely will this week as Vick has yet to be seen in practice with the team. However, Kelly declined to say when Vick would return and who would start for the Eagles in their next game.
Kelly told reporters (via the Philadelphia Inquirer) that the media was more worried about who the starter would be than the actual players were. All he would say was that on Monday, Foles was the starting quarterback for that day.
The head coach also gave little insight into the health of Michael Vick. The original diagnoses for the hamstring injury was 10 to 14 days. Vick was not healthy enough to play against Oakland. Kelly said team doctors said Vick's leg was still sore and he would not be present at practice Tuesday as well.
Foles is now the subject of many headlines after his big game in Week 9. Kelly is not too worried about the young quarterback getting over confident after the game, noting that one good game is not enough to guarantee long-term success.
"If he needs anything to think about, he should think about what happened last could of weeks to him," Kelly said, via John Murrow of the Philadelphia Daily News. "It can change in a week. If you spend too much time dwelling on the past then you're probably doomed to repeat it. If you spend too much time patting yourself on the back, you're probably in a bad situation, too."
Owner Jeffrey Laurie has expressed his desire to find a franchise quarterback that could be with the team long-term. Given Vick's injury history, he is likely not the best option for Philadelphia. If Foles can keep the momentum and build off the performance instead of letting folks down the following week, he could be the answer the Eagles have been searching for.
