Matt Barkley on Tim Tebow: ‘He's not taking my reps’ in Eagles OTAs
Although Tim Tebow is going through his first OTAs with the Philadelphia Eagles, fellow quarterback Matt Barkley said that Tebow hasn’t taken reps away from him.
Speaking Thursday to NJ Advance Media, Barkley said Tebow was signed to give the Eagles another quarterback after G.J. Kinne moved to wide receiver. Barkley’s comments were similar those made by fellow Eagles quarterback Mark Sanchez shortly after Tebow’s signing in April.
“He’s not taking my reps on the field,” Barkley said. “He’s an arm we need for the team, with G.J. making the move to receiver. Tim’s just one of us. He’s trying to make the team just like we all are. It hasn’t [affected] my approach to how I feel the team thinks of me or how I’m going out to compete every day.”
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Barkley, the Eagles’ fourth-round draft pick in 2013, has appeared in four games over his two NFL seasons, completing 30 of 50 passes for zero touchdowns and four interceptions.
After Tebow signed with the Eagles on April 20, he was thrust into a busy quarterback depth chart that includes himself, Sanchez, Barkley and Sam Bradford, who was acquired in a trade with the St. Louis Rams but is coming off his second left ACL tear in 10 months. Sanchez and Bradford are expected to compete for the starting job, though Bradford won’t begin throwing in 7-on-7 drills until this coming week.
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“I’m not looking to compete for the third spot,” Barkley said. “That is, what it is based off contract numbers. I’m just looking to play my best. If that winds up being third, then so be it. If it ends up being the first, I’ll be happy with that. I can’t control how money talks. I’m just going to perform how I see fit.”
- Mike Fiammetta
