For Matt McGloin, the numbers don't add up

In all probability, Matt McGloin's brief career with the Eagles will come to an end on Saturday when the team reduces its roster to the league-mandated 53 players.

McGloin is the third quarterback on a team that is expected to keep only two – Carson Wentz and Nick Foles.

Foles has yet to make an appearance in the preseason, and probably won't play Thursday against the Jets either.

He's spent most of the summer sidelined by a sore elbow on his throwing arm and has practiced just twice in the last 3 ½ weeks.

He didn't practice again on Tuesday, though the official explanation given this time was illness, rather than injury.

"He was excused from the building,'' head coach Doug Pederson said. "[Being sick] is a good reason not to be around.''

[Podcast: Should fans be worried about Nick Foles]

Asked for an update on Foles' elbow, Pederson, who already has become as guarded with injury information as Donald Trump is with his tax returns, said, "Fine. Doing well. Day-to-day still. Getting better. We're just pushing towards the regular season.''

So, you don't want/need to see him play against the Jets on Thursday?

"I'm comfortable with him not playing, if that's the way I go,'' Pederson said. "I've been around Nick a long time. Had him here years ago (as a rookie in 2012) and watched his career.

"He's a veteran guy that knows how to get himself prepared and ready for games. I'm not concerned in any way.''

[Foles practices Monday; Eagles coaches not worried]

With Foles out and the Eagles more concerned with keeping Wentz healthy than getting him – or most of their starters — a lot of preseason snaps, McGloin has played the lion's share of snaps in the first three preseason games, and will get most of them against the Jets.

He has played 26 possessions in the first three games. The Eagles have scored on just six of them (three touchdowns, three field goals). He's completed 70.5 percent of his passes, but is averaging just 5.6 yards per attempt and has thrown just one touchdown pass and three interceptions in 88 attempts.

"For me, [Thursday's game] is just another opportunity to go out there and play well and put something good on film,'' McGloin said.

"Throughout my career, I've tried to control the things I can control and not worry about anything else. The only thing I can control is going out there and playing well and showing these guys I deserve the right to be here.

"This is my fifth year in the National Football League. I've started games [7]. I've played in games [13]. I've played well. I've worked my tail off since I've been here. But we'll see. At the end of the day, this is the NFL. You never know what's going to happen.''

If Foles' elbow is as "fine'' as Pederson claims, we actually do know what's going to happen. The Eagles will keep just two quarterbacks and McGloin will have to hope that another team was impressed enough by what they saw of him in the preseason to sign him.

If the elbow isn't fine, the Eagles could end up keeping three quarterbacks, including McGloin, or even put Foles on injured reserve, though that seems unlikely.

Asked about his comfort level with McGloin as Wentz's backup if, perchance, Foles wasn't ready to go for Week 1, Pederson said, "I'm very comfortable with Matt. I think he's done an outstanding job all of camp. He's had a ton of reps in Nick's absence. I'm comfortable with where he's at and what he's done with our offense.''

McGloin spent his first four NFL seasons with the Raiders. Started six games as a rookie, but attempted just 66 passes the last three years. When Oakland didn't re-sign him after the season, he signed a one-year deal with the Eagles in mid-April.

He said he didn't give much thought to the fact that the Eagles already had signed Foles, or that they had only kept two quarterbacks last year.

What drew him to Philly was the opportunity to play for two ex-NFL quarterbacks – Pederson and offensive coordinator Frank Reich — and his old offensive coordinator in Oakland – Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo,

"I didn't really consider [Foles already being here],'' he said. "I never have. I've been in a position before where I came into an NFL camp and was the fourth quarterback. I've beaten out guys who've been ahead of me (on the depth chart) before. So (the numbers) never really crossed my mind.

"I show up here every day. If I'm given one rep, then I try to make it the best rep of the day. If I'm given 10 reps, then I try to make them the 10 best reps of the day.

"I can't control what they give me. I can't control whether I'm the first, second, third or fourth [quarterback]. I can only control that I'm here today and I'm going to work hard in the film room, work hard in the weight room, work hard on the practice field."That way, if I make the team, if I get more reps, it's awesome. But if I don't, then I know I need to work harder. At the end of the day, it's out of my hands. All I can do is stay positive and work hard.''