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Mark Sanchez is expecting open QB competition for Eagles

By Russell Johnson

Dec 28, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Mark Sanchez (3) walks off the field after the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. The Eagles defeated the Giants 34-26. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 28, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Mark Sanchez (3) walks off the field after the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. The Eagles defeated the Giants 34-26. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Mark Sanchez expects open competition for starting job

The Philadelphia Eagles have experienced a rather significant roster turnover from last year to this year. They traded their starting running back to the Buffalo Bills, they let their top wide receiver walk in free agency, and they traded their starting quarterback to the St. Louis Rams. That’s their three highest performing offensive players gone in the same year. To replace them, the Eagles signed Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray, drafted wide receiver Nelson Agholor, and acquired Rams quarterback Sam Bradford.

But one player that didn’t leave after last season is QB Mark Sanchez. Sanchez has had a rather rocky career. After being taken fifth overall by the New York Jets in the 2009 NFL Draft, he led his team to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2009 and 2010. But those Rex Ryan-led teams had very stacked defenses and Sanchez’s performance was certainly not what led them to the playoffs. After the defense lost some pieces the team collapsed as it attempted to lean on Sanchez and the offense. Sanchez left at the end of 2013 and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. In 2014 he sat behind Nick Foles until Foles suffered a season-ending injury halfway into the season. Sanchez took over and while showing some flashes of success, he mostly stank up the place and returned to his turnover machine self.

But 2014 has come and gone and the Eagles have a new quarterback in town. Sam Bradford, the first overall pick from 2010, was traded from the Rams for Nick Foles. Bradford has also shown some flashes of quality play, but has never been truly above average and has been repeatedly injured with a high ankle sprain and a twice torn ACL which ended three of his five seasons in St. Louis prematurely. Sam Bradford is without a doubt the presumed starter coming into the 2015 season, but Mark Sanchez wants a chance to prove himself.

According to Sanchez, Chip Kelly has told him that he has a chance to win the starting job. Whether or not that chance is going to be even or if Kelly is leaning one way or the other is unknown. It’s a smart move to keep Sanchez happy by at least paying lip service to a quarterback competition.

It’s not always the case that the presumed starter is the one that wins the job in a quarterback competition. In 2012 the Seattle Seahawks held a three-way quarterback competition between incumbent Tarvaris Jackson, high-priced free agent Matt Flynn, and rookie third round pick Russell Wilson. Flynn was the presumed starter as the team had thrown $27 million over three years at him to sign with Seattle. To many people’s surprise it was Wilson that won the job. In this situation Sanchez is more of a known quantity than Wilson was, but you never know what might happen when a new season rolls around.

Whether Sanchez or Bradford wins the starting job, it’s probably a safe bet to say that Mark Sanchez will be the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles by the end of the season.

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