The Philadelphia Eagles listed Michael Vick as questionable Friday following the quarterback's second consecutive day of practice with a helmet. Vick will start Sunday's game against the New York Giants barring any unexpected setbacks, NFL Network's Albert Breer reports.
"There's no reason to think I won't play on Sunday," Vick told Breer Friday.
The Eagles coaching and training staff were less emphatic about Vick's availability on Sunday, but remain optimistic that he will be ready to play.
"If he's ready on gameday," coach Andy Reid said, "then he plays on gameday."
Asked directly if Vick would start Sunday, provided there are no setbacks with his recovery, Eagles head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder said "I think we're headed in that direction," but the path to Vick starting is still an on-going one.
"Everything has gone as planned," Burkholder said during Friday's press conference. "I think at this point in the process we're very far along, but it's still an on-going process. So we have tonight to see if any symptoms come up and how he does with his sleep and how he does tomorrow morning. He's got a walkthrough tomorrow and then we'll go through our pregame process."
Burkholder said that Vick has done very well in two impact tests and the Eagles quarterback will not undergo a third test unless necessary.
Earlier in the week it was unclear if Vick would be able to recover rapidly enough to play after sustaining a concussion from a nasty collision with a teammate during the Eagles' loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Vick participated in a team walkthrough on Wednesday, however, and the next day the team announced that Vick had been medically cleared by an independent neurologist, allowing him to practice.
Vick is working with Unequal Technology on finding more protective equipment, the company told Breer.
Unequal CEO Rob Vito said Vick has been fitted with a kelvar lining containing a product called CRT – Concussion Reduction Technology – that would go inside his helmet, and also for a vest similar to what Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will wear to protect his ribs and chest as a preventive measure.
