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Michael Vick has helped the Carolina Panthers after all.
The Panthers had no interest in the embattled former Atlanta quarterback last month despite widespread suggestions to the contrary, but they're now benefitting from Philadelphia's decision to sign him.
Just two days after suffering a 38-10 drubbing by the Eagles, the Panthers are set to sign the quarterback displaced by Vick's arrival in Philadelphia – A.J. Feeley.
Carolina vigorously worked to land Feeley on Monday after deciding to put backup quarterback Josh McCown on season-ending injured reserve with knee and foot injuries. The club projected the injuries could keep McCown out for up to six weeks.
“It's going to be a length of time that we just feel like would be very difficult to go without another veteran quarterback on the roster,” said general manager Marty Hurney.
Feeley is expected to sign today, pending his physical examination, and practice Wednesday.
He joins a suddenly wacky Panthers quarterback situation that began spinning off course when starter Jake Delhomme committed five turnovers in less than three quarters against the Eagles and was benched in favor of McCown.
After McCown's injury, Matt Moore took over and threw the team's fifth interception.
Coach John Fox said Monday that Delhomme remains the starter for Sunday's game at Atlanta.
Feeley, 32, is a nine-year veteran, but hardly can be viewed as a potential savior for the Panthers' offense. He has 15 career starts and has thrown 27 touchdown passes and 29 interceptions.
Feeley didn't play last season and threw eight interceptions in three games in 2007.
He had a chance to be Miami's fixture at quarterback five years ago when the Dolphins obtained him from Philadelphia for a second-round pick, but he struggled and started only eight games before moving on to a short stint in San Diego in 2005.
Feeley has fared best in the Eagles' version of the West Coast offense, but should adjust quickly to Carolina's more standard style of play that's built more around running the ball than the short passing game.
The Panthers declined to comment on Feeley's arrival until after he's officially signed.
The Eagles also reportedly were interested in bringing Feeley back Monday after their starting quarterback, Donovan McNabb, suffered a rib injury on a touchdown run against the Panthers. However, Feeley opted for Carolina over Philadelphia, and the Eagles turned to another of their former quarterbacks, Jeff Garcia, cut recently by Oakland.
Terms of Feeley's contract weren't available, but the Panthers' lack of salary cap room might have restricted them from offering him anything other than the veteran's minimum salary. As part of a league-wide system to help veterans get jobs while assisting teams with cap room, veterans can count $460,000 against a team's cap while actually receiving $745,000.
The recent turn of events was especially unfortunate for McCown, an eight-year veteran with 31 career starts, 35 touchdown passes and 40 interceptions. He didn't throw a pass playing behind Delhomme last season and now will miss out on potential playing time this year.
Before news became public that he'd been placed on injured reserve, McCown was guarded while talking to reporters in the locker room. He had a boot cast on his left foot and was using a crutch to walk.
“It's a bummer when you get a chance to play regular-season football for the first time in a while,” he said of his injuries. “I was excited about that, so for (this to happen), it kind of stunk.
“The whole thing is frustrating.”
From a Panthers perspective, that also describe the state of their quarterback situation.
Delhomme entered the season wanting to put behind him his six-turnover performance in Carolina's 33-13 home playoff loss to Arizona on Jan. 11.
Instead, he turned in a near-duplicate of that game against the Eagles, throwing four interceptions and losing a fumble that Philadelphia recovered and ran in for a touchdown.
Delhomme said he couldn't explain why he had two dreadful games that “kind of piggy-backed each other so many months apart.”
“But the goal,” he said, “is not to make it three in a row and do everything we can to get a win.”
Amazing as it might seem, if Delhomme struggles again against the Falcons, his substitute just might be a man brand new to the roster.
