From Michael Vick’s Perspective

Chip Kelly had a one-on-one with Michael Vick Tuesday to deliver the news that Nick Foles would remain at quarterback moving forward. The meeting was really just a formality, a courtesy. Vick has been around long enough to know when  the writing is on the wall.

“I see things before they happen. You can’t be naive,” said Vick at his locker after practice. “You’ve got to understand the situation, have to see and know that the most important thing for you to do is try to be there and support your team. I didn’t want to make this a hard decision for Coach, I didn’t want to make this a hard decision for anybody, for myself. Can’t be frustrated about it. I just wanted it to be a smooth transition, and it was.

“Coach Kelly, when we sat down, he didn’t even need to say much because we’re always on the same page. And I think you have to be that way with your head coach, especially at my age and the amount of time I have been in this game. It’s only right.”

Vick said that he is back to 100 percent after weeks of dealing with a bad hamstring. The injury forced him to miss five starts and ultimately cost him his job. Foles stepped in and played exceptionally well, going 4-1 as a starter and tossing 16 touchdowns and no interceptions. Vick seems to be genuinely enjoying Foles’ success, even if it is coming at his own expense.

“It’s all about support,” he said . “I’ve been playing in this league a long time and it’s great to see guys who I know can play, who I spend a lot of time with, go out there and have success. I enjoy watching my team go out there and do the things Coach Kelly asks them to do, and seeing it turn over and correlate into wins. It’s exciting to see.”

You could forgive Vick is he was a little less level-headed about the situation. He is 33, his one-year deal is almost up and he is extremely competitive. Yet it struck him as odd when a reporter asked:

Deep down, how disappointing is this?

Vick offered a quizzical look before responding.

“It’s not disappointing at all. I can’t even answer [the question],” he said. “I’m still a part of an organization that took great care of me, gave me all the opportunities and possibilities that I could possibly imagine and it’s just great to be a part of it. Obviously as a competitor you want  to be out there, you want to play, but you can only control what you can control so I just have fun just being a part of it.

“I’m not a selfish person. I don’t ever feel the world revolves around me. I’ve been blessed with the ability to play this game, I’m extremely talented and I know I’ve got a lot of football to play. That’s what keeps me going.”

Vick thinks he has a couple good seasons left as a starter and then plans on transitioning to a full-time back-up role. Who knows how many more opportunities he’ll get to be the man. Whether his life as a back-up officially starts now or a few seasons from now, he is showing that he can play the part.

“It’s tough when your future is uncertain but you also have to look at the things that you did and things you were able to do well. Hopefully that’s enough to show that I can continue to play,” said Vick. ” I feel good — I feel great — still feel like I have a lot of time to play this game, and I’m still learning. I’m excited about it, but I still have to focus on each and every day for the rest of this season, and continue to help this team win games.”