Posted by Will BrinsonFollowing his departure Sunday night due to a concussion, there was much concern that Eagles quarterback Michael Vick might be absent.
As it is right now, though, things look pretty good -- Vick didn't show any symptoms of a concussion after taking the NFL's baseline test on Wednesday and participated in the Eagles walkthrough even though he didn't participate in practice.
Still, that doesn't mean that Vick is necessarly cleared for Sunday's game against the Giants quite yet.
"It's hard to give you the future because you have to do things the right way and go through the process," coach Andy Reid said.
Additionally, just because Vick didn't show symptoms Wednesday doesn't mean they can't pop up in the future, as trainer Rick Burkholder noted, adding that Vick would visit an indepedent neurologist in the next day or so.
"Just because he doesn't have symptoms today doesn't mean he won't have symptoms tomorrow," Burkholder said. "You can't predict."
Beause Vick was absent, backup Mike Kafka reportedly took most of the first-team snaps during practice. It's also believed that Vince Young will be cleared to play sooner rather than later.
"We're pretty fortunate to have three quarterbacks who can play the game," Reid said. "My message to all three of them was: 'Get ready accordingly."'
Tom Coughlin, on the other hand, is just preparing for Vick. The Giants said on a conference call Tuesday that he fully expects to see Vick on the field come Sunday.
"I expect Michael Vick will play and if he can play, I am sure he will," Coughlin said.
The issue, of course, is whether Vick is even allowed to play. Before he can step foot on the practice field, the quarterback must clear a battery of concussion tests administered by an indepedent doctor, per the NFL concussion protocol.
If Vick doesn't show any further concussion symptoms, he'll have been clear since Wednesday, which means he can return to practice on Friday.
| Week 3 NFL Preview |
|
Provided Vick has cleared the tests and provided he'll play, it's not surprising to anyone, especially the two coaches involved. Clearly Coughlin never thought about gameplanning with Vick not playing in mind, and it's highly unlikely that Andy Reid did either.
"He remembered everything," Reid said about talking with Vick after the game. "He recalled everything. I tried to quiz him and see where he was at. He was frustrated that he wasn't able to finish. He had a vested interest in finishing."
For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter and subscribe to our RSS Feed.
