It’s only been a matter of time, but the Kevin Kolb era can officially begin for the Philadelphia Eagles. The brand new starting quarterback signed a one-year extension today worth a guaranteed $12.25 million over the next two years.
And I know what you’re thinking, but don’t read too far into it. It’s only one year because that’s really all they could do under the restrictions of the rules that go into effect in an uncapped season. It’s the 30 percent rule, to be more specific, which says a players salary can’t increase more than 30 percent from one season to the next.
To circumvent the rule, the Eagles will pay most of the contract in a signing bonus, which isn’t affected by the rule — only base salary must adhere to the rule.
This is a huge blow to the section of Philadelphia that thought Andy Reid and company really wanted to implement Michael Vick as the starter, but that’s a ridiculous thought anyway. There was no way Vick would be given a real shot at the starting spot — he was brought in as a gadget player and will serve only that role.
The rule does, however, give the Eagles a chance to see Kolb play before handing him big money. This way, he’s only getting a little over $6 million per season — a bargain for any starting-caliber quarterback — and if he doesn’t perform it will be much easier to part ways with him.
The Eagles don’t anticipate that as being a problem, but it’s certainly an advantage they could use in all this.