Rex Ryan announces that Mike Vick will start vs. Eagles on Thursday night. However, he won't be out there for long #nyj — Manish Mehta (@MMehtaNYDN) August 24, 2014
According to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, Jets head coach Rex Ryan announced on Sunday that Michael Vick will start at quarterback Thursday night in the preseason finale against the Eagles.
Vick revived his career in Philadelphia after an 18-month prison sentence for his role in a dogfighting operation. He signed with the Eagles in August 2009 - as the Eagles were playing in a preseason game at home against the Patriots - and served as a backup to Donovan McNabb before winning the starting job early in the 2010 campaign. He ignited the Eagles' offense in 2010 as he threw for 3,018 yards and 21 touchdowns against only six interceptions for a career-high 100.2 quarterback rating while leading the Eagles to an NFC East title. He had a number of sensational performances including the Monday Night win over Washington when he accounted for six total touchdowns as well as the amazing fourth-quarter comeback in the Miracle at the New Meadowlands.
After five seasons with the Eagles, Vick signed a one-year deal to serve as the backup quarterback to Geno Smith in March.
"I really enjoyed getting to know him over the last five years," said Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie back in March. "He always represented our team with a tremendous amount of class. Michael was a great teammate, a great leader and we're thankful for everything he provided to our organization and to our community."
The former No. 1 overall pick of the 2001 NFL Draft ranks sixth in Eagles history with 9,984 yards passing on 57 touchdowns, a 59.5 percent completion rate and an 87.7 passer rating. He also surpassed former Eagle Randall Cunningham as the all-time NFL leader in career yards rushing by a quarterback with 5,857 during his Eagles tenure.
Not only was Vick a pro on the field during his time in Philadelphia, but he championed many causes off the field. He teamed up with the Humane Society to share with children his story and steer them away from animal cruelty. He also started the Team Vick Foundation which donated $200,000 towards a youth football field in North Philadelphia.
The Eagles responded to Vick's departure by signing former Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, who has been outstanding this preseason. Sanchez is firmly entrenched as the backup to Nick Foles and will not play against his former team on Thursday night.
