The Eagles haven’t said which of their two starting-caliber quarterbacks will start the third preseason game, coming up on Saturday against the Jaguars. But coach Chip Kelly has said that, on Monday, the coaching staff will determine the rotation for the next game.
With the third preseason game widely considered to be the dress rehearsal for the regular-season opener, the decision as to whether Mike Vick or Nick Foles will start against the Jaguars will go a long way toward letting everyone know whether Vick or Foles will start against the Redskins.
With the signs pointing to Vick gaining separation, Foles nevertheless thinks he still can win the job.
“I’m going to keep working,” Foles said, via Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “My mindset stays the same. My work ethic stays the same. My ultimate goal, always, is to play. Not going to change anything.”
Foles said the quarterbacks split the reps in Sunday’s closed practice session. On Saturday, the bulk of the first-team reps went to Vick.
And while it appears that Kelly is considering the possibility of using both guys interchangeably this season, a source with knowledge of Kelly’s approach at Oregon explains that the head coach is doing the same thing he did in 2010 and 2012 while at Eugene.
Both years, the competition continued until the week before the first game. Then, when Kelly named a starter, he stuck with the guy all year.
In this case, there’s a chance Kelly wouldn’t have a choice to stick with Vick, if/when Vick gets injured. (Again.) But if history repeats itself in Philly, either Vick or Foles will enter Week One as the clear-cut No. 1, without having to look over his shoulder.
Unless, of course, he plays poorly enough to prompt Kelly to consider making a change.