Vick On Thumb: I Thought It Was Broken

When Michael Vick raced off the field and towards the sidelines, he feared the worst.

Coming off a season in which he missed three games completely and failed to finish two others, Vick has been fielding questions about his health for months now. So when he stepped up in the pocket, targeted Clay Harbor and banged his hand against Jason Kelce’s helmet, worry started to creep in.

“When it first happened, because I heard a pop, I thought it was broken,” Vick said “And you react differently when you don’t know exactly what happened. I tried to get to the sideline as fast as I could. I did the same type of thing last year against Dallas, but I was able to come back the next week and play. But this time, I heard a pop, and thankfully it was because of the collision, not because of the broken bone.”

Official word from Andy Reid was that Vick suffered a thumb contusion and will be fine. By the end of the game, the Eagles’ quarterback was able to properly grip the ball, and X-Rays taken at halftime were negative.

While he was on the field, Vick and the first-team offense went three-and-out on their only two possessions. He finished 3-for-4 for 6 yards, but didn’t seem overly concerned about the lack of production.

“I’ve been involved with preseason games, and I had a similar type of game last year against the Steelers,” Vick said. “Things just didn’t work out. The good thing is we’ve got them in the regular season, and I’ll have a chance to play against them for four quarters, so we’ll see how that works out.”

The Eagles travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers in Week 5.

Before the game, Vick stood next to Reid during the moment of silence for his son, Garrett, who died Sunday at the age of 29. Vick said he always stands next to Reid during the National Anthem, but reiterated what he said earlier this week – that Garrett will be in the Eagles’ hearts all season.

“We all know that Garrett was out there in the stadium tonight with us, and he will be with us for the rest of the season and as long as this organization exists,” Vick said. “We’re pleased to have another angel in the sky who can look over this team.”

INJURY REPORT

* Jeremy Maclin strained his hamstring before the pre-game warmup and did not play.

* Cullen Jenkins strained his hamstring in the first half. Reid said it doesn’t look serious, but Jenkins will have an MRI Friday morning. While he was in the game, Jenkins lined up at left defensive end with the first team, taking Jason Babin’s place.

* Running back Dion Lewis also suffered a hamstring strain. He’ll have an MRI in the morning, Reid said.

Follow Sheil Kapadia on Twitter and e-mail him at skapadia@phillymag.com.