PHILADELPHIA -- Michael Vick has been named the Philadelphia Eagles' starting quarterback, a day after coach Andy Reid said it was Kevin Kolb's job.
It wasn't immediately known why Reid reversed his decision on Tuesday. The team announced the move in a text message, and Reid was to discuss it at a news conference later in the day.
Reid called Vick on Tuesday evening and told him he was starting. Vick was at a charity event. "It came as a complete surprise," a source close to Vick told ESPN's Sal Paolantonio.
A senior Eagles official told Paolantonio that the decision to start Vick is "just a football decision, he is just playing too well."
Kolb missed the last six quarters because of a concussion, and Vick played well in his absence. Kolb was cleared to practice and was expected to run the first-team offense on Wednesday.
The decision to go with Vick over Kolb is a permanent move and is not injury related, a source told ESPN NFL analyst Chris Mortensen.
After a day of film study that included coaches and members of the front office, Reid concluded that due to injury problems on the offensive line and Vick's mobility, Kolb was not the choice for quarterback, especially given Kolb's susceptibility to another concussion if he were constantly under duress.
Back-up center Mike McGlynn had difficulty recognizing the Lions blitz on Sunday and calling the right protections, a source told Paolantonio. As a result, Vick was sacked six times.
Vick threw for 175 yards and one touchdown and ran for 103 yards in a 27-20 season-opening loss to Green Bay. He had 284 yards passing and two TDs in a 35-32 win at Detroit on Sunday.
"He didn't look like he'd lost it, did he?" Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said Tuesday afternoon when asked about his former star quarterback. "I mean, he was zipping that ball and made a couple of runs. He's going to be back in a big way, I think."
Kolb started two games in his first three seasons before he became the team's No. 1 quarterback after Donovan McNabb was traded to Washington. Kolb struggled in the first half against the Packers.
Vick's start against the Lions was his first in nearly four years. A three-time Pro Bowl pick during six seasons in Atlanta, Vick missed two seasons while serving an 18-month sentence in federal prison for his role in a dogfighting operation. He signed a two-year contract with the Eagles before last season, then played sparingly behind McNabb and Kolb.
Vick has completed 63.8 percent of his passes and has posted consecutive games with a passer rating above 100 for only the second time in his career.
