The Philadelphia Eagles decided to keep Michael Vick rather than see him go to another team. If the Eagles had let Vick go, most would have expected him to join the New York Jets, if only because former offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg was there. However, Mornhinweg may yet reunite with a former Philadelphia quarterback in Kevin Kolb.
After Kolb was cut by the Arizona Cardinals on March 15, rumors sprung up that the Jets would try to sign him. An anonymous source told USA TODAY that Mornhinweg “certainly has a high opinion” of Kolb from his days in Philadelphia, which would give him an edge in New York.
If Kolb went to the Jets, he would likely become a backup again like he was with the Eagles. Back in Philadelphia, it was considered inevitable that Kolb would eventually replace Donovan McNabb, at least until Vick came along. This time, it would be considered inevitable that Kolb will replace Mark Sanchez if he goes to New York.
Sanchez is still the Jets’ No. 1 starter, yet his poor performance in the last two years leaves him on very thin ice. The moment he gets into a slump in 2013, Jets fans will call for him to be benched for good. This would be where Kolb comes in, especially since he has been a starter before and has experience with Mornhinweg.
In reality, Kolb only had a handful of starts running Mornhinweg’s offense in Philadelphia, so they don’t have that much experience together. In addition, Kolb did just as poorly with the Cardinals in 2011 and 2012 as Sanchez did with the Jets and as Vick did with the Eagles.
While Kolb is an available backup and potential replacement for Sanchez, it doesn’t mean he is significantly better. Given that Sanchez was supposed to be New York’s franchise quarterback for years to come, the Jets had better be sure of his replacement before they give up on him.
Choosing Kolb just because he worked with Mornhinweg for a little while isn’t enough. Nevertheless, the Jets need some kind of backup plan before they enter another year of uncertainty with Sanchez.
With the free agent and draft market for quarterbacks as poor as it is, Kolb’s time with Mornhinweg and the Eagles might be enough to win the Jets over by default.
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