Once and soon-to-be-former Eagles quarterback Michael Vick returned to practice Monday, and said he understands his new role, even if he doesn’t agree with it.
The Eagles decided to go with rookie Nick Foles the rest of this season, a move that almost certainly signals the end of Vick’s run with the team.
Vick said he didn’t know what his future in Philadelphia entailed, and talked around a question about whether he agreed with coach Andy Reid’s decision.
“I’m a competitor, and I’ve always felt like and will continue to feel like I’m one of the best and can play at a high level,” Vick said, via Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News. “I want to be out there, I want to play, but it’s just not the ideal situation right now, . . . I have to accept my role, accept it like a man, continue to find positives out of it.”
Vick said for the next two weeks, he’d embrace the role of backing up Foles, knowing he’ll probably never get the starting job back there.
“That’s just the way things are right now,” Vick said. “I have to roll with the punches and deal with it, make the most of it, continue to work hard, try to get better, continue to help Nick out, continue to help [backup Trent Edwards], continue to help this football team, do my job as a leader, . . . regardless if I’m the starter or the third-string quarterback.”
Vick also said that he suffered his concussion a play before coming out of his last game, admitting he was “woozy.” After being hit on the following play he said he knew he had to come out because “I couldn’t see.”
Vick’s doing the best thing he can at the moment, which is playing along. His priority needs to be finding a job for next season with another team, and causing a stink on a sinking ship won’t help him toward that end.