The Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback competition is by far the NFL’s most-entertaining position battle worth following this summer. Though there is heavy speculation the team wants Sam Bradford to start, head coach Chip Kelly has not yet committed to that widely held belief.
He’s repeatedly claimed all of the quarterbacks—namely Bradford, Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow—are there to compete for the starting job.
Throughout the team’s OTA’s and minicamp, each of the three main contenders have stood out in their own way.
Mark Sanchez Is Hitting the Bullseye
Sanchez has been practicing with the first-team offense due to Bradford’s less-than-100-percent health. Since Sanchez was the last quarterback to officially play for the team, he’s in a decent spot to retain the starting gig.
According to Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com, Sanchez is performing quite well in practice. Shorr-Parks notes Sanchez has yet to throw an interception during any practice session and getting the ball out quicker than last year.
Mark Sanchez airs it out to Nelson Agholor. Hit him on the run. One of the prettiest balls so far in camp. #Eagles
— Matt Lombardo 🏈 (@MattLombardoNFL) June 16, 2015
Per Zach Berman of Philly.com, Sanchez said he feels better about his practice sessions:
“I feel good. I’m anticipating a lot of things instead of reacting, where last year I was learning so much on the fly and trying to learn that zone read stuff and a new offense and a new language, but now I feel much more comfortable.”
Sanchez is certainly giving a valiant effort to prove he can be the team’s trusted starter. Depending on Bradford’s health, he may earn that chance.
Tim Tebow Hasn’t Lost His Speed
Tebow is fighting to remain on the team’s final 53-man roster, but he hasn’t lost his best attribute. Shorr-Parks reports the Eagles coaches had Tebow running the ball often during 11-on-11 drills.
Unfortunately for Tebow, Shorr-Parks added that the inconsistent quarterback threw one pass well short of his receiver and into the ground on Wednesday.
Nevertheless, Tebow’s mobility is one asset that Sanchez and Bradford cannot bring to the table.
Chip says Tim Tebow has progressed and improved in OTAs. Said should be good competition in training camp. #Eagles pic.twitter.com/gM7h7hmoVL
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) June 17, 2015
Sam Bradford Is Building Chemistry with Zach Ertz
Since Bradford is still healing from a torn ACL, he is practicing in the team’s 7-on-7 drills rather than the 11-on-11’s. Shorr-Parks writes Bradford hit Zach Ertz along the sideline for a 20-yard gain and has been targeting the tight end “frequently” this offseason.
Bradford spoke about the possibility of being ready to participate in training camp next month, via Mark Eckel of NJ.com:
“If I’m not ready for 11 on 11 by training camp, then something has gone horribly wrong. That’s the plan right now. We’re going to keep plugging away and be ready when camp starts.”
Bradford must be feeling pressure to meet the expectation of being the team’s starter, but he still needs to recover from the ACL injury first.
Photo: USA Today Sports