Michael Vick has done nothing to lose the starting quarterback job with the Philadelphia Eagles. He’s been named the starter for the regular-season opener against the Washington Redskins on Sept. 9.
Head coach Chip Kelly made the announcement at his press conference Tuesday. Vick won a competition with Nick Foles with his performance in the preseason.
“Nick made it very difficult,” said Kelly. “It’s not where one guy went north and the other guy went south.”
Now comes the difficult part for Vick, who said he’s fallen in love with football again. and proved it with his dedication through the offseason and in his performance in preseason games.
Vick was lost for six weeks last season with a concussion on Nov. 11 against the Dallas Cowboys and injuries, including lasting only eight snaps last preseason, have been his kryptonite in recent seasons. He has only started all 16 regular-season games once in his career.
In 2012, he completed 54.3 percent of his passes with 10 interceptions.
Part of the issue last season was an offensive line that battled injury and inconsistency. Another factor was not having 2012 All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy for the second half of the season. Vick was sacked 28 times, and seven times at New Orleans on Nov. 5, the week before he was hurt against the Cowboys.
He took a paycut to stay with the team in March, and Kelly immediately announced the quarterback job would be “wide open.”
On Tuesday, Kelly said Vick won’t need to look over his shoulder.
“This is a one-quarterback operation,” Kelly said.
Vick’s mobility and athleticism has led to projections of a bounceback season in Kelly’s fast-paced offense. Vick competed 13 of 15 passes (86.7 percent) with one touchdown — a 47-yard bomb placed perfectly on the hands of DeSean Jackson. He has been sacked once and has only two rushing attempts — for 20 yards.
Kelly expects Vick to play most of the first half Saturday against Jacksonville.
Fantasy Update: Vick won’t be a top tier fantasy option at QB, but he may be a valuable backup in deeper leagues. The Eagles have weapons on offense, but ultimately the offensive line play will determine Philadelphia’s success on that side of the ball.