Howard Smith – USA TODAY Sports
Training Camp commences later this month, and the quarterback battle for the Philadelphia Eagles is still very much in the air. This is not uncommon for Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, as his battles at Oregon typically ran late into spring camp.
The quarterback battle will certainly be the focal point during training camp and into the preseason. Will Michael Vick run the show? Could rookie Nick Foles prove his worth on the practice field and in the exhibition games and snatch the job from Vick? Possibly the most intriguing player could be Matt Barkley, the rookie out of USC.
Barkley was rated as a top-50 player on the Eagles’ draft board, and they considered themselves lucky when they nabbed him in the fourth round. Rookies starting is no longer an unprecedented feat in the NFL, so if Barkley shows himself to be the most accurate and efficient QB in camp and in the preseason, he could very well be the starter come Week 1 on Monday Night Football.
In the dog days of summer, the quarterback competition will be the headline most journalists and media members will be focused on as it is the most critical position in coach Kelly’s offense. Whoever wins the job will have earned it by proving to be superior both on the practice field and in the film room.
For Vick, in particular, it will be critical for his job security that he wins the starting job. I don’t think the Eagles will invest in him as a highly paid back-up, and Vick himself will in all likelihood want to look for starting opportunities elsewhere.
As the heat turns up, so too does the quarterback battle. Kelly will have a difficult decision to make, but in the end, he will make the decision based on performance both on the field and off it, as he has no ties to any of these players. May the best man win.
