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Mark Sanchez is expected to be the Philadelphia Eagles' starting quarterback for the team's next two games. Sam Bradford is out due to a concussion and a separated shoulder. So is there a chance Sanchez can actually win the starting job if he plays well? Multiple NFL insiders are reporting that appears to be the case. ESPN reporter Chris Mortensen said the following, via ProFootballTalk:
"If he plays well," Mortensen said at the end of the Sunday morning NFL Insiders show, "he could take the job."
NFL insider Ian Rapoport echoed the sentiment:
Ian Rapoport reporting that Bradford's future with #Eagles is murky and Sanchez is auditioning for starting job over next 2 games. Wow.
— Patrick Causey (@InsdeTheHuddle) November 22, 2015
More from Rapoport: if #Eagles go 2-0 w/Sanchez, he could start rest of season and #Eagles could address QB position in draft. #EaglesTalk
— Patrick Causey (@InsdeTheHuddle) November 22, 2015
Earlier this week, Chip Kelly downplayed the notion of a quarterback competition, saying Bradford is the starter when healthy.
Maybe a strong performance from Sanchez will make him change his mind. The Eagles play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers today on Sunday before playing the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving. Those teams aren't exactly juggernauts, so it's not impossible for the Eagles to go 2-0 over that stretch.
The Eagles invested a lot in Bradford this offseason by sending a 2016 second round pick and Nick Foles to the St. Louis Rams. Kelly obviously wouldn't make that trade if he felt great about Sanchez as a long-term starter. Bradford hasn't played well so far this season, but he was playing his best football before getting hurt. It's an interesting situation, and it'll be interesting to see how it plays out.