Vick “Likely” Starter vs. Giants

Michael Vick will presumably end the season where he started, as the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles.

After an MRI revealed that incumbent starter Nick Foles suffered a hairline fracture to his hand during the Eagles’ 27-20 loss to the Washington Redskins on Sunday, Eagles head coach Andy Reid announced Vick’s role come next Sunday.

“There’s a pretty good chance Michael will be the starter,” head coach Andy Reid told PhiladelphiaEagles.com. “That’s what we’re looking at right now. That’s the direction I’m going as we speak right now.”

Vick hasn’t played this season since Week 9 when he suffered a concussion against the Dallas Cowboys in a 38-23 loss. Since then, the veteran quarterback has been in recovery mode while Foles has taken the helm. However, the two have still combined for a meager showing this past season, tallying a deplorable 4-11 campaign (Foles: 1-5 record).

As such, the Eagles have nothing to play for. In fact, many believe that both Reid and Vick are on the hot seat in Philadelphia. Team owner Jeffrey Lurie announced that an 8-8 season is “unacceptable” and that changes will be made if they fall short of those expectations.

Moreover, Vick’s tender at Philadelphia is hanging by a thread. He hasn’t blossomed into a reliable starting quarterback with the injury risk that comes with his mobility. In fact, Vick has only accrued a meager 2,165 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season. His yards on the ground have also been held at bay, tallying only 307 rushing yards, one touchdown and five turnovers.

Still, the frustrations surrounding the Eagles’ poor season doesn’t fall completely on Vick’s shoulders. In fact, Philadelphia had suffered a number of injuries to their offensive line, which has forced Reid to shuffle his backups into long stretches of the season. Injuries to left tackles King Dunlap, Jason Peters and centers Dallas Reynolds and Jason Kelce have kept third-string backups into the lineup for 6+ games.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Eagles’ organization start from scratch in 2013. But if Vick has another poor showing on Sunday, rumors will start to swirl around his future as an NFL starter.

Dale Zanine-US PRESSWIRE