Michael Vick didn't give Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly a choice. Kelly had to make Vick the team's starting quarterback after Vick's two flawless preseason outings.
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On Tuesday morning, Kelly confirmed the obvious. Vick will start in Week 1 against the Washington Redskins.
"We had 38 opportunities for evaluation. I don't think this is a rash decision," Kelly told reporters Tuesday.
Nick Foles acquitted himself well in practices, by all accounts. He can run Kelly's offense and effectively moved the ball during two preseason games. But Foles was more prone to youthful mistakes, while Vick was reinvigorated by an offense that plays well to his skill set.
This is Vick's chance to kick-start a career that stagnated under former Eagles coach Andy Reid. It was a surprise for Kelly to bring back Vick this offseason at a reduced salary, but that gambit is paying off. NFL.com's Ian Rapoport notes that Vick will make $7 million in base salary and bonus, but he could make $10 million total. Vick gets $1.5 million if he plays 90 percent of his team's snaps, per Rapoport.
No matter what Vick gets, Kelly has two solid quarterback options for very low prices at the position.
"This is a one-QB operation," Kelly said. "I don't want Michael looking over his shoulder."
Still, Kelly can expect to use them both during the season. Vick hasn't started more than 13 games in a season since 2006. Foles should get a chance to play, but it only will happen if Vick is ineffective or injured.
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