It’s not often that we see an NFL coach be swayed by popular opinion with regard to his choice to start at quarterback, but that’s exactly what has happened over the past two days in Philadelphia, as head coach Andy Reid backed down from his passionate defense of Kevin Kolb being his starter going forward, in favor of keeping Michael Vick in the role instead.

Reid’s hasty submission is surprising on a number of levels, given his staunch support of his former starter Donovan McNabb in the face of mounting pressure in years past, and it paints a picture of indecision that hasn’t been present in a long time within the Eagles franchise.

Waffling on who to start at quarterback is never good for business, as the rest of the team often ends up divided into two camps, supporting one player or the other. They may say all the right things when questioned by the media, but there will always be a measure of dissent that seeps into the locker room, as players wonder if their coach will support them in a similar situation.

The quick decision to switch sides has to be especially disconcerting for Kolb, as he was handed the keys to the franchise earlier in the off-season, only to have them yanked from his grasp just two weeks into the season for no other reason than him suffering an injury in the first game of the year.

Being relegated to the bench for the foreseeable future will undoubtedly affect Kolb’s psyche, as the confidence instilled in him by Reid’s support in the off-season has been shattered into a million pieces, but at this point, Reid really had no other option.

The bottom line in all of this is that it’s clear that Vick is the best choice to start as of right now, given his superb performance thus far this season, and while it could cause irreparable damage to the team in the long run, Reid is betting that his decision will pay dividends this year, making any hurt feelings irrelevant in the process.

It’s a rough lesson for Kolb, who is still coming into his own in the league, but such is the norm in the NFL, where winning trumps everything else.

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3. Vick injury not believed to be serious