Eagles' Jeffrey Lurie: Finding franchise quarterback top priority

Could Nick Foles be the franchise quarterback Jeffrey Lurie is hoping for? (Drew Hallowell/Getty Images) Though he supports rookie head coach Chip Kelly's

Could Nick Foles be the franchise quarterback Jeffrey Lurie is hoping for? (Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)

Though he supports rookie head coach Chip Kelly's decision to start Michael Vick at quarterback, Eagles chairman Jeffrey Lurie is placing an emphasis on finding a young, franchise quarterback to pair with his young, highly touted head coach.

“We need someone to step up, whether it’s an existing young quarterback or somebody we go out and acquire,” Lurie said in an interview with CSNPhilly.com. “We know — this is no secret — quarterback is the [ultimate] position and the most important difference-maker.”

The existing young quarterback who could potentially fill that role is 24-year-old Nick Foles, who will start this week in place of Vick. In five games this season — three in extensive action — Foles has completed about 58 percent of his passes, and thrown six touchdowns to no interceptions. He has a quarterback rating of 101.3.

In his last game against the Dallas Cowboys, Foles suffered a concussion while completing just 11 of 29 passes in a dreadful 17-3 loss.

"Nick is going to have a great opportunity to showcase what he’s done. He’s had some outstanding games and he’s had one poor game," Lurie said.

“Time will tell. I think it’s really wide open for those that are on the team and it’s wide open for what our strategy might be if we don’t have it. But it’s a No. 1 priority. We’ve got to solidify that position in a really good way.”

BURKE: NFL Power Rankings for Week 8 >