Could the Eagles turn to Vick long-term?

The possibility of Michael Vick being the quarterback of the future for the Eagles is very real.

That's the only way to explain Andy Reid's decision to name Vick the starter over Kevin Kolb Tuesday evening.

At the end of the 2009 season, the Eagles had to make a decision: stick with Donovan McNabb and give it another shot, or turn to Kolb and enter a new, unknown era. They chose to go with Kolb.

At the end of the 2010 season, the Eagles are going to have another decision: hand the keys over to Vick for the next several years, or return to the previously interrupted Kolb era.

The Eagles gave Kolb a reported $12.25M in guaranteed money this offseason on a contract that extends through the 2011 season. But most of that was in the form of a signing bonus, which was reportedly $10.7M.

Vick, meanwhile, becomes a free agent at the end of the 2010 season.

After seeing Vick's performance through six quarters against the Packers and Lions, Reid decided to change the course of the franchise. In the past, Reid has not been one to make rash decisions. So it's entirely possible that this is not a rash decision. It's entirely possible that Reid, Howie Roseman, Joe Banner and company see a future with Vick, who just turned 30 in June.

Some other random thoughts on the decision:

* Prediction: Kolb will start again before the season is over. One thing I noticed when I re-watched the offense today was how many hits Vick took. Between the protection problems and Vick's style of play, it's difficult to see him lasting 14 straight games.

* What happens if Vick plays poorly against the Jaguars and the Redskins? Is it back to Kolb? Will each quarterback be looking over his shoulder whenever he's in the game the rest of the season? That's hardly putting Vick or Kolb in a good situation to succeed.

* I know loyalty is a foolish word to use in professional sports. But think about some of the moves this franchise has made over the years: benching McNabb for Kolb in Baltimore, letting Brian Dawkins walk, trading McNabb within the division, and now benching Kolb in favor of Vick. It's been quite a noteworthy run over the last 2-3 years.

* Essentially, McNabb recruited the quarterback who is replacing him. Remember, the Eagles told the story of McNabb texting Reid and urging him to bring Vick on board. Now, the two will face each other in a couple weeks at the Linc.

* Earlier today, I provided an in-depth look at Vick's start against the Lions.

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