PHILADELPHIA -- Michael Vick jogged off the field after another long practice and headed straight for the air-conditioned comfort indoors.
All that extra work could be paying off. Vick's teammates said the quarterback looks ready to play when the Philadelphia Eagles host Jacksonville on Thursday.
"I'm not a quarterback or a quarterback coach so I wouldn't know exactly, but as a defensive guy watching I can tell you that he's ready," safety Quintin Mikell said Monday.
Vick is eligible to play the next two preseason games, but not in the regular season. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said he would consider Vick for full reinstatement by no later than Week 6 (Oct. 18-19).
"He's ready for another chance," offensive lineman Shawn Andrews said.
Since Vick's first day with the Eagles, he has stayed after practice to work with offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and assistant coaches. He was joined Monday for 20 minutes by Donovan McNabb and the other three QBs on the roster.
The Eagles have kept practices open, but are not allowing the media to report on specifics, a standard policy around the NFL.
But while the Eagles prefer to keep their intentions to themselves, it's clear Vick wasn't brought in only to be a backup quarterback and that he figures into the team's plans. Vick's skills are perfectly suited to run a Wildcat formation, and he's familiar with Philadelphia's version of the West Coast offense.
"I think he's had about three coordinators who have all been similar in their style," McNabb said. "There is nothing for me to tell him. He's obviously watched throughout my career and he's run the offense himself. He'll get a chance to kind of see it in action, move around in it, try to run it and try to execute the plays."
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
