Michael Vick has bested Nick Foles out of the starting quarterback competition for the Philadelphia Eagles according to reports, as first-year coach Chip Kelly announced Tuesday that Vick will take the reins to the offense in Week 1 of the regular-season.
ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted the news Tuesday morning:
Chip Kelly named Michael Vick his starting QB.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 20, 2013
Vick took control of the quarterback competition in the first two preseason games for the Eagles (1-1), and was the obvious choice to start the season under center when Philadelphia travels to Washington, D.C. in Week 1 to take on their division rival Redskins on Sept. 9. Vick completed 86.7% of his passes in the first two preseason games for the Eagles.
Vick, entering his fifth year with Philadelphia, played in 10 games last season for the Eagles, going 204-for-351 for 2,362 yards with 12 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Vick, 33, also rushed for 332 yards in 62 attempts and had a touchdown. Foles, meanwhile, appeared in seven games for the Eagles last year and went 161-for-265 for 1,699 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions.
Kelly will look to insert Vick as an offensive weapon as part of his plan for a revamped offense for Philadelphia. Kelly is hoping for his offense to run a lot of plays and snap the ball every 15 seconds in order to catch defenses off guard. With Vick's speed as a factor, that hope could become a reality and a nightmare for opposing defenses.
Kelly, a two-time PAC-12 Coach of the Year winner, is looking to bring his success at the college level with Oregon to the NFL. The Eagles are in desperate need of a turn-around, after the team finished an abysmal 4-12 last season and failed to make the playoffs for the second year in a row.
Despite his success, Vick was modest about his chances of being named starter and told USA Today that he wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't selected as the team's starting quarterback.
"I wouldn't be shocked," Vick told USA Today Sports Saturday. "Even if I weren't named the starter, I'm still going to help this team out and I'd just have to look forward to my future. At the same time, I'd understand that this is the team I'm on and my name may be called at some point."
On Tuesday, his name was called on by Kelly to lead the team.
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