Matt Barkley Should Totally Start At Quarterback Week 17

Given the Cowboys drubbing of the Colts today and the fact that they host the Redskins next week, it’s probably best that the Eagles didn’t win and keep our hopes alive that a Cowboys collapse in Week 17 could allow the Eagles to slide into the playoffs.

So who plays Quarterback next week for the Eagles?

Whether he is cleared to play or not, playing Nick Foles in a meaningless Week 17 game would be next-level stupid and won’t happen. In all likelyhood, Foles will be the team’s Week 1 starter next year, so risking his health doesn’t make any sense. Mark Sanchez, who is a fine backup quarterback but clearly not a starter in the NFL, likely won’t be returning to Philadelphia in 2015. Sanchez probably won’t get a starting job in the league, but he could be a fit somewhere like Cleveland or Buffalo with a young Quarterback who will enter the season as a starter with a ton of questions. But that’s not the Eagles concern.

In a meaningless game, why not start Matt Barkley?

I’m not just saying that in the sense that I’m tired of seeing Sanchez picks, so why the hell not play Barkley? Right now, Sanchez is clearly the better option if you need to win a game. The Eagles don’t need to win a game. The Eagles are only a few years removed from moving up in the fourth-round to take Matt Barkley.

More from Section 215

• 4 Eagles on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots
• Best Pennsylvania Sportsbook Promos: Win $650 GUARANTEED Bonus PLUS $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket
• 3 Punters the Eagles Must Target to Replace Arryn Siposs
• Cowboys Trey Lance Trade Proves How Screwed They Are With Dak Prescott
• Devon Allen Took Britain Covey’s Job on Eagles

In the time since then, Nick Foles has proven and seemingly unproven himself. In his limited time in the NFL, Barkley–once thought to be a first-round talent–has proven that he is likely never going to be a starter in the NFL. Barkley was thrown into two very unenviable situations last year, when he saw extended snaps in both the Cowboys and Giants games, and he finished with a combined stat-line of 28/46 with zero touchdowns and four interceptions. Barkley saw limited snaps in the Eagles trouncing of the Raiders last year and Monday Night Football beatdown of the Panthers this year, but not enough to tell much of anything.

Barkley talked up his improvement in the offseason, but evidently did little in camp to even give Mark Sanchez a push for the backup job. He did start the Eagles final preseason game against the Jets, going 21/33 for 253 yards and both a touchdown and a pick. He wasn’t awful, but he seemed to fit in playing against second and third-string players. For any of the nice throws that he made, there was an equally inaccurate throw, including the ball that was picked off by LeQuan Lewis. I rewatched film of the game last night (big Saturday night, I know), and Barkley made direct eye contact with Lewis and still threw it in his direction anyway. That’s something that a lot of young Quarterbacks struggle with, especially ones who don’t get a ton of time to play.

Clearly, Barkley is far from flawless. He isn’t an option to start for the Eagles long-term, like many of us thought he would be when he got drafted. But the Eagles need to figure out if he can be their backup next year, because Sanchez isn’t going to be. They need to figure out if Nick Foles goes down for two or three games, if they can trust Barkley to take care of the offense and keep the ship afloat, so to speak. As we’ve seen with Sanchez, even if you have a good backup, you can’t make the playoffs if your backup plays more than a few games.

By all accounts, Barkley has earned a chance. He had many flaws coming out of college, but his work ethic wasn’t one. That, at least to my knowledge, has not changed in his nearly two years in the NFL.

A start in Week 17 would reward Barkley, but also do a great deal of good for the Eagles. As I mentioned, Sanchez won’t be back next year, so the Eagles need to figure out if Barkley can be their answer to that position. If he plays even moderately well but they believe they need a stronger backup, then it ups his trade-value, which is probably non-existent after holding a clipboard for two years. If he’s awful, then he’s making next to nothing and could either remain the team’s third-string quarterback or the Eagles could release him.

One thing the Eagles could be wary of is that if they don’t play Mark Sanchez next week and Barkley struggles, not only did they probably burn their bridge with Sanchez, but they may have turned off some potential backups in the process.

All that said, with how Quarterback friendly Chip Kelly’s offense is considered around the league and the fact that Nick Foles isn’t a sure-thing heading into 2015, I’m sure there will be plenty of interest in coming to Philly to be the backup if Barkley isn’t the answer.

So starting Barkley over either Sanchez or Foles for Week 17 makes sense. The worst thing that could happen is Barkley is brutal, and the Eagles finish at 9-7 instead of 10-6 giving them a pick or two high and the draft.