Reid: Vick to start for year; no guarantee Kolb will be on team after trade deadline
Michael Vick said he was "humbled" to be named starter for the rest of the season. Andy Reid would not promise that Kevin Kolb will be an Eagle after the trade deadline.
Reid: Vick to start for year; no guarantee Kolb will be on team after trade deadline
Jonathan Tamari
Michael Vick said he was "humbled" to learn he had been named the Eagles starter, completing a long journey from public pariah to face of the team. It's a move that seems set for the rest of the year: head coach Andy Reid said Vick is the starter for the remainder of the year.
Vick said even he was "sort of" surprised by his own performance in his six quarters this season.
"I know what I can do, but until you get out there and you actually do it, you really don't know if you're going to make the plays that you know you're capable of making," Vick told reporters before his first practice as the team's starting quarterback.
Vick said there were days he never thought he would play again the NFL. Now, he said he has to play hard and reward his coaches' faith in him.
It's unclear what Vick's long-term future will be though. Reid would not answer a question about whether the team will look to extend the quarterback's contract. He is in the final year of his deal with the Eagles.
Reid also would not guarantee that Kevin Kolb will remain with the team after the Oct. 19 trade deadline, despite touting Kolb's "bright future" in the NFL.
"I can’t predict anything down that far, nobody in this league can do that, that’s ridiculous," Reid said. "The future, we’ll just have to see."
Reid, however, said he wants Kolb on the Eagles.
"This is not about Kevin Kolb, this is about Michael Vick. Kevin Kolb has got a bright, bright future. I mean bright future ... but Michael Vick I think surprised all of us with his play."
Several players were asked about the change, they all stuck to the company line: they will support whatever their coaches decide.
Reid conceded that Kolb would not have lost his job had he not suffered a concussion against the Packers.
He said no one else pressed him to make the switch.
"I didn't talk to a player, I didn't talk to a coach, I talked to one guy for two days about this," Reid said -- referring to Kolb. "Whatever anyone else says about this, is not right."
Kolb took the high road when asked about the switch.
"The NFL is a tough spot and you have to compete every day. I understand that and I understand that Mike's a great player and he's playing great. Again, I want to be out there, and the hardest thing is, you want to go battle with your guys. We spent a lot of time together and I want out there and fighting every down with them," he said.
He would not answer when asked if he lost his job because he got hurt, but said he was surprised by the decision. Asked if Reid made the right choice, Kolb said, "he feels that way and he's the head coach."
Reid you are a loser. Good luck at your next job coaching the Raiders. Who knows, maybe Kolb will get traded there and you can kiss and make up with him.— iamkingdunlap- Better yet, you can take Vick with you at the end of the season after he stinks up the joint.— iamkingdunlap
- Huh?? I'm hoping this article was just hastily put together. How the heck did we go from "Kolb's the starter when he gets back" to "Vick's the starter the rest of the year & Kolb could be traded? If this is true why did we ever dump McNabb????— Mike in LA
- KK will be traded at the deadline if someone is willing to pick up his contract eagles trying to win now and vick can provide that it will take kk years to mature into a good qb if ever this is about now— teebone40
- @Mike in la they traded mcnabb cause they didnt want to pay a long term contract for player of 30 u know how the eagles do and they thought kk would pick up the offense off of those 2 games they really misjudged his abilites— teebone40
Kolb to Cleveland or Minnesota...- All this could have been averted 4 yrs ago by never wasting that pick.— realtruth
- Pick up his contract? I think he has less than 2 million left for this year and next. Most of his contract was up front bonus.
- "...He said no one else came to him about the decision - not coaches or players or upper management..." Sure Andy. City is tired of Andy and I think management is chipping away at Reid's authority. Only a matter of time before Andy is gone.— DennyP
- Vick played well against a lousy Lions team and a Green Bay defense that was way ahead in the game and hadn't game planned for him. And for this you're gonna go against the plan and trade "the future" as Kolb had been anointed. Give Me a break. After years of deferring to Reid's judgment and decent success, I am just plain done with this guy. I can't wait until he is fired and Vick is back in Virginia killing dogs for fun.— yisser
- Kolb is going to be traded— lefty1117
- Can we please, PLEASE fire Andy. PLEASE. He has clearly gone off the deep end this past year, he can't call plays in the clutch, and his evaluation of talent is fundamentally flawed (and getting worse). This latest charade is just further evidence of how insane he has become.— Evo621
- What??? I'm done with the Gold standard until the Fatman is gone. GO PHILS, GO FLYERS!— JohnnyN
- All those who know football know this is the right choice. Ask any players in the NFL, and they will tell you this is the right choice. Kolb will NEVER have the physical talent that Vick has, he may be a QB but doesn't have the potential Vick does. Vick showed he is coachable and can become a pocket passer. Before these last two games I didn't think he could, but now that I see he has Steve Young potential I am all for it. In fact Andy Reid would be crazy not to do this.— ChrisM
- I'd be shocked if the Eagles find any suitors for this stiff, at least Baby Arm is back on the bench where he belongs.— brmorgen81
