Dallas Cowboys quarterback Jon Kitna missed a second consecutive day of practice, making it less likely he will play in the season finale.
Stephen McGee ran the Cowboys' first-team offense Thursday and would make his first career start Sunday at Philadelphia if Kitna isn't healthy.
Kitna is dealing with a strained muscle in his side that makes it difficult for him to throw. He was injured while throwing a touchdown pass in the first half of a loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night. McGee played the second half and did well in his NFL debut.
Interim coach Jason Garrett said Kitna was "walking around OK," but the team would wait at least another day before making a decision on his availability.
If McGee gets the start, he'll have some understanding from Garrett, himself a backup Cowboys quarterback to Troy Aikman.
"I relate to that all the time," Garrett said, according to the team's website. "Your mind is racing. It's going fast, and we talk all the time with our quarterbacks about the importance of being mentally ready so when that situation comes you can be calm because you know exactly what you're doing. You're prepared for any scenario.
"So you have to get some snaps with the center and then go out there and get the snap the first time and hopefully that gets you into the flow of the game."
Notes: The Cowboysannounced Thursday the signing of veteran place-kicker and Southlake, Texas native Kris Brown. David Buehler will remain the kicker and likely handle the duties this week, although he missed an extra point in the 27-26 loss to the Cardinals Christmas night.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
