Let's not create quarterback controversies where there are none. We still haven't quite put out the fire from Mike Vick arriving to compete for Donovan McNabb's job, and now we are hearing about the possibility of Jeff Garcia taking both of their jobs, and Kevin Kolb's.
We understand those were some good times with Garcia, and that there remains a contingency of fans who believe he is better than Donovan. 2006 was a great season, and Garcia deserves all the credit in the world, but he was a game manager, not a game breaker. The Eagles were able to make a run more in part due to a solid defense contributing to a +5 turnover differential (9th in the NFL) and because Brian Westbrook was allowed to carry the load.
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The idea he's here to replace Kevin Kolb is short-sighted as well. Even Jeff Garcia admitted he's here on a "week-to-week basis," meaning he was primarily brought on in case the unthinkable happens and another QB goes down. If Kolb is injured next week, and no backup were in place, what on earth would the Eagles do then? And the theory they could have signed anybody, but because it was Garcia there's some kind of statement being made isn't well thought out either. If they could sign anybody for the next week or three, why wouldn't they want the best guy possible? For that matter, who else was even out there who knows the system?
That's not to say Garcia can't play at all. We're all prepared for the very real possibility Kolb could fall on his face on Sunday. We doubt he'll be benched in his first start, unless it reaches Delhomme-level proportions of failure, but any extended amount of subpar play, combined with multiple weeks of absence from McNabb, could certainly see Garcia under center as early as Week 3.
That's even considering Mike Vick's return from suspension. Not to say Vick wouldn't see any snaps at QB, but there is almost no way he'll become the primary backup in his first week back in the NFL. After two years out of the game, and only a few weeks of practice under his belt, it's unlikely he is immediately a better option than either Kolb or Garcia.
The real quarterback controversy, the one that everybody's missing even though it's right under their nose, is the one that will begin brewing if Kolb plays, and plays well this Sunday. That's probably impossible to fathom for those of you who have already written him off, which seems to be the large majority of Eagles fans, but this is the organization that wouldn't extend McNabb during the offseason in large part due to the presence of their mostly untested, former second round draft choice.
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In reality, Kolb is the biggest threat to McNabb's job. Not Jeff Garcia, who couldn't even beat out Donovan two years on the strength of a deep playoff run, and not Mike Vick either, who hasn't accumulated half the accolades 5 has and seems a ways away from being ready to play quarterback again. But in Kolb's case, you know there are people in that front office who would love to see him become a pro-style QB, because he's a cheaper, younger option than McNabb going forward.
And the truth of the matter is, Kolb probably doesn't have to be better than or even quite as good as McNabb. If he steps in and performs better than so many as half the quarterbacks in the league, and the Eagles win some games, Kevin Kolb suddenly finds himself with some leverage. When McNabb comes back, struggles a bit while battling the lingering soreness, and the team ultimately falls short again, it's decision time this winter. The front office will be forced to make the judgment on whether they can win in the future with Kolb, or whether it's time to pony up and make Donovan an Eagle for life.
Vick and now Garcia are only temporary extra pieces, one a new toy who will ultimately become a bargaining chip in the spring, the other a fossil the Eagles would just as soon have left buried if not for the unfortunate situation in which they find themselves. This is, and always has been, about Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb, and don't be shocked when 5 finds a way to play this Sunday.