With talk increasing that veteran quarterback Jeff Garcia may return to the Eagles, FOX 29 in Philly reports that there has been plenty of talk between Garcia and the Eagles regarding a third stint.
Per the report, Garcia and the Eagles has spoken “numerous times” this offseason, including a recent one-hour conversation.
Garcia, 40, joined the NFL in 1999 after starting his pro football career in the CFL. He inherited the starting job with the 49ers after Steve Young was knocked out during a Monday night game against the Cardinals. Garcia held the job through 2003.
He struggled during one-year stays with the Browns and the Lions. In 2005, Garcia took over late in the season after Donovan McNabb was lost due to injury, propelling an unlikely playoff run -- and sparking the first talk in Philly that it may be time for a change.
Garcia then had two solid years in Tampa. In 2009, he signed with the Raiders and requested his release before the start of the regular season. The Eagles added him as an in-season insurance policy after McNabb broke a rib in Week One.
In 2010, he’d provide a savvy veteran presence behind Kevin Kolb, bringing extensive knowledge of and experience with the West Coast offense.
It’s unclear whether he’d be the primary backup to Kolb. On game days, Mike Vick will likely be the other active quarterback, given his ability to run the Wildcat offense. It’s possible that, like Kolb in 2009, Garcia would be the emergency quarterback when Kolb starts, but the guy who would take over in the event of an injury that prevents the starter from starting.