Chip Kelly Says It Is Unfair To Name Starting Quarterback Too Soon
By Josh Sanchez
The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback competition will be one of the most intriguing training camp battles leading up to the pre-season. New Eagles head coach Chip Kelly plans to take his time naming a starter and all three quarterbacks — Michael Vick, Nick Foles and Matt Barkley — all have a legitimate shot at earning the first-team gig.
According to Kelly, he is in no rush to name a starter and he plans to use training camp to fully assess the situation so that he avoids making a snap judgement.
“We’re going to have to name a starter at some point in time,” Kelly said, via Philly.com. “That’s why I think it would be unfair right now, because there hasn’t been enough situations to evaluate. If someone said, ‘Hey, we have to play a game tomorrow,’ we have to make a decision. But we don’t have to play a game tomorrow. We have until September 9, so we’ll see how it works itself out.”
By waiting out the process, Kelly believes that one of the quarterbacks will take the opportunity they are being given to step up and separate themselves from the other signal-callers in the competition.
“I’ve never been in a situation where we’ve had to make a decision and it’s like 50-50, pick it out of a hat,” Kelly said. “Somebody over the course of time has stepped up and has won the battle. That’s what you’re hoping to have happen again here, and hopefully it’s evident to everybody, like, ‘There’s no question that it’s this guy because his game stepped up.’”
It is truly one of the first times in recent memory where you can say a quarterback competition is anyone’s game, but Kelly has made it very clear that he will choose whatever guy he feels is best suited to run his offense.
It’s one hell of a way for the former Oregon Ducks coach to make a splash in the NFL.