Michael Vick: Is His Comeback Over With Kevin Kolb Leading Eagles?
With Michael Vick being on the shelf for at least one-to-two weeks with what's been diagnosed as a rib cartilage injury, Kevin Kolb is back under center for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Now, with the way that the quarterback situation has been handled in Philadelphia since the offseason, there's going to be a lot of questions about who keeps the job and with Vick on the shelf, Kolb has a golden opportunity to take his job back.
Here are 10 reasons why Michael Vick's amazing comeback could be over thanks to his latest injury.
No. 10: Vick's Playing Style
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DeSean Jackson told NFL.com that right before Michael Vick went down with his injury, he gave him a warning that he couldn't be taking hits like that.
Vick didn't listen and now he's on the shelf for a couple of weeks at the least. You can't blame him though, that's just how he is. He embraces contact and sometimes, that gets you hurt. However, that's a dangerous playing style and it's one that could hamper any comeback with it being such a sensitive injury.
His playing style just encourages injuries.
No. 9: Fan Pressure
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If there's one thing that can be said about the fans of the Philadelphia Eagles, it's that they're passionate.
Another thing that can be said is that when a hot hand emerges, they will ride that hot hand as long as it's possible. When Kevin Kolb had a couple of big games in place of Donovan McNabb, Eagles fans got behind Kolb. The same could be said for Michael Vick this year. There are already plenty of Philly fans who were Kolb supporters going into the season, and still are.
If he plays well, there will be pressure on Andy Reid to keep him in.
No. 8: Media Pressure
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As soon as Michael Vick stepped onto the field against Green Bay and had the success that he had, there was a ton of media pressure surrounding the situation.
They asked who the quarterback would be, if there was a controversy and there was nothing but speculation and even after Andy Reid made a decision, there was more talk. It's a rough situation for everyone involved, but if Kevin Kolb has any success, the same situation will rear its head again and Reid will be back where he started.
I don't envy Andy Reid, even if he say he's in an enviable position.
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No. 7: Team Chemistry
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While the team has clicked with Michael Vick, the Eagles never really gave Kevin Kolb a chance to settle into his own as the quarterback of the team.
Now he's going to be getting starter's reps in practice for at least two weeks as Vick recovers, and if he starts to build a bond with his wideouts and his offensive line as the team rallies around him and supports him, it's going to be hard to give him the yank for someone the team hasn't played with in two weeks.
This isn't a situation where he's a franchise quarterback, so it's not a no-brainer in my opinion.
No. 6: Jeff Garcia
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After the game on Sunday, speculation started that the Eagles may be interested in Jeff Garcia, a quarterback who led the Eagles to a playoff run a couple of years ago and is very familiar with Andy Reid's offense.
It wouldn't be a bad fit, but if Garcia comes in, it creates more problems in Philly and could make things more complicated. The Eagles could use a player like Garcia, who could even teach Kevin Kolb how to run the offense and act as a mentor.
It would complicate matters further, but I wouldn't put it past Andy Reid.
No. 5: Offensive Line
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To say that the Eagles' offensive line has issues would be a massive understatement.
Michael Vick was totally pounded behind that offensive line, and took a ton of hits that most quarterbacks don't. With Vick nursing an injury that we really haven't seen much of, I wouldn't be trying to rush him back behind a line that's going to get him hit a ton during the course of a game.
Philly's line needs a lot of work, and no quarterback is safe behind it.
No. 4: Misdiagnosed Injury
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There were a lot of rumors about what was actually wrong with Michael Vick after he left the field on Sunday, and to be honest a rib cartilage injury doesn't seem like what happened.
I know I'm not a doctor, but there's a chance the injury was misdiagnosed. Jacoby Ellsbury of the Red Sox had it happen to him and he came back with cracked ribs. There were whispers it was his collarbone, and there were some that it was his ribs.
Vick may have to go through a ton of tests to get back on the field, and if he does and they missed something he could be right back off the field.
No. 3: Injury Heals Slowly
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As has been reported, it's a rib cartilage injury and Vick believes he will be out one-to-two weeks with the injury. But will he really?
That's his hope, but I'm not sure it's reality. That's an odd injury to have and it could be a while before we see Vick back on the field. Take Donovan McNabb's sports hernia a few years ago, that was supposed to be a short-term injury before he eventually missed most of the season.
The Eagles aren't going to rush him back if it could keep Vick off the field for a good chunk of time.
No. 2: Winning Streak
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If the Eagles win without Michael Vick, and it's possible they can, with San Francisco up next, it could create a big controversy.
All it took was two quarters to bump out Kevin Kolb, and despite how Vick is now a huge star in Philadelphia, the winds of change blow quickly in Philadelphia and Andy Reid is under a lot of pressure to get the job done since he traded away Donovan McNabb.
It'll be hard not to play the hot hand if the Eagles go on a winning streak.
No. 1: Kolb Matures
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The Eagles can't just win ugly and keep Kevin Kolb in there. If the Eagles win and Kolb has some great games during the streak, it will make a case that Kolb should have been the guy from the start.
The plan was for Kolb to be the quarterback of the future, and if he's showing that potential in his time as the starter, there's no reason the Eagles shouldn't go back to him. Michael Vick isn't the quarterback of the future, Kolb is and if he plays well, he has to keep the job.
Vick's got some miles on his tires, and he won't be around forever.
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