All eyes on Vick's return with Eagles Thursday

It’s not often that an NFL Preseason game gets a lot of hype, but that’s exactly what’s happening with Thursday’s matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Quarterback Michael Vick is expected to make his first start since signing a contract with the Eagles Aug. 13 – his first National Football League action since New Year’s Eve, 2006.

The Eagles are a -330, 7.5-point favorite at Legends Sportsbook.

Vick, as anyone not living under a rock would know, was released from federal prison in May after serving most of a 23-month sentence for running a dog-fighting operation.

His last appearance in 2006 was a 24-17 loss to the Eagles when he was a member of the Atlanta Falcons.

A three-time Pro Bowler, Vick will likely play most of the first quarter and be used at several different positions on the Philadelphia offense.

He is currently behind Donovan McNabb, Kevin Kolb, and A.J. Feeley on the team’s depth chart at QB.

Meanwhile, Kolb, who missed the team’s first two preseason games due to a knee sprain suffered early in training camp, returned to practice this week and has a chance to play against the Jaguars.

On the injury front for the Eagles, running back Brian Westbrook (ankle), tackle Shawn Andrews (back), guard Todd Herremans (foot) are unlikely to play, and fullback Leonard Weaver (knee), defensive end Darren Howard (groin) and linebacker Tracy White (ribs) are questionable after missing practice time earlier this week.

Jacksonville will be attempting to build on a solid, although losing, effort in last Saturday’s 24-23 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Jacksonville’s starters are expected to play into the third quarter against the Eagles, in keeping with third-game-of-preseason tradition.

The Jaguars and Eagles will be meeting in a preseason game for the first time.

Jacksonville has won all three regular season matchups between the clubs, with the most recent win coming at Lincoln Financial Field in 2006.