Philadelphia Eagles: What's Next for Quarterback Kevin Kolb?

We all knew the time would come when Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick would both be healthy and head coach Andy Reid would have to make the decision on who to go with. That time is now, and Vick is going to be the guy.

So what happens now for Kolb—the quarterback everyone thought was going to be the answer for the Eagles before the season started?

For the remainder of the 2010 season, all he can do is be patient.

The quarterback position is by no means a safe position. We’ve experienced that first hand this year, more than once. Both of our starters have gone down with injuries on different occasions, and the other has stepped up when called upon. For now, that will be Kolb’s role again.

Vick’s style of play is dangerous, there’s no doubt about that. He’s a very elusive quarterback, but we’ve seen that he can’t dodge everything.

When he runs, he’s not the kind of guy that likes to go out of bounds or slide when he’s in the middle of the field. The plays he makes with his feet are incredible and he tries to push every play to the limit.

After the injury he suffered, one might think he might take it down a notch or try to protect himself a bit more. I don’t think that’s going to be the case. It’s not Vick’s style of play and I don’t expect him to start playing that way.

So am I saying that another injury to Vick is inevitable? Not at all. However, if you’re sitting in Kolb’s shoes right now, you have to be ready to go every week.

If you follow football, I’m sure you’ve heard a backup quarterback say something along the lines of, “I’m going to prepare as if I was the starter.” It happens every time, and this needs to be Kolb’s mindset. He needs to stay sharp and be ready if he’s called upon.

An injury to Vick isn’t the only way Kolb could see action again. The Eagles have a tough schedule the rest of the way out. What if Vick has a huge drop off in performance? If he’s playing horrible, you can’t keep a guy like Kolb on the sideline. He’s shown that he can play at a high level and win football games.

Kolb is not in the situation he wants to be in right now. However, he has to go about it professionally and continue to prepare himself each week. You never know when you will be called upon.