Despite Likely Week 17 Start, Michael Vick Won't Be Back with Eagles in 2013

Michael Vick will likely start in Week 17 for the Philadelphia Eagles, but fans shouldn't see this development as a sign he'll be back with the club in 2013.

The only reason Vick is being considered as an option for the final game of the 2012 season is that Nick Foles broke his hand against the Washington Redskins in Week 16. 

Per Eagles Insider:

"

Nick Foles played through a broken throwing hand and Michael Vick is likely to start in the regular season finale philadelphiaeagles.com/news/article-1…

— Eagles Insider (@EaglesInsider) December 24, 2012"

The Eagles franchise is almost certainly going to go through a purging process after the final game. 

Andy Reid won't likely be back, and the Eagles are rumored to be hot on the trail of college coach Chip Kelly (h/t NFL.com's Albert Breer).

Vick is due to make $17.9 million next season, and the Eagles could save approximately $13 million in cap space by either trading him or cutting him before February 9, 2013, per SI.com's Chris Burke. 

The team already dropped one of its premier veterans when Jason Babin was cut earlier this season, and it seems like a foregone conclusion that Vick will be the next big name to fall.

Furthermore, before this latest development, Vick had been demoted to No. 3 on the depth chart—a clear sign that the Eagles were preparing for life without him.

Vick won't be back in 2013. Whether you agree or disagree with the reasons, the Eagles franchise seems to have already made up its mind on the matter. Purging is never fun, but it is a necessary process.

If the Eagles have any hope of returning to prominence, this is a process that must be undertaken, and Vick will be one of the casualties. 

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