Mike Vick to be given the chance to rehab his career in Philly? It just didn’t make sense when the announcement was made last night that the PETA favorite was to be an Eagle, possibly unsettling incumbent QB—Pro Bowl-caliber for the last decade, mind you—Donovan McNabb.

Since Vick was released from house arrest and then reinstated into the league last month, speculation has been rife as to where he would land. Minnesota seemed the perfect fit, with a questionable QB situation as it stands and the league’s best tailback in Adrian Peterson there, who would undoubtedly benefit from the running threat Vick’s legs would pose.

But the football gods had different ideas, opting to have Vick backup McNabb. And that’s all he’ll do. Two years away from the game, Vick isn’t ready to orchestrate an NFL offense—not that he was particularly any good at that when he was playing full-time pre-penitentiary. And as McNabb revealed in today’s press conference (below), there’s no ill will between the two, as PR-savvy Donovan claims to have wanted Vick on the squad. After all, he’s been mentoring Mike since his high school days, he says.

Professionally, the move still seems to be a bad one, threatening McNabb’s position on the field. But really, as someone who’s known Vick for years, McNabb is entirely aware of his ability. And now he doesn’t have to look over his shoulder and worry about some scrub named Kevin Kolb coming in and torpedoing the Eagles’ season if he goes down with injury.

So with that measure of security, McNabb can get back to his old days when he was a running quarterback—kinda like how Mike is. Developing his arm over the years instead, he’s been forced to reign in his running instincts in an effort to stay safe and secure from concussion-inducing tackles. But now, he can let loose and utilize the depths of his talents. And Mike’s chillin’ in the cut patiently waiting to do the same.

Rivalry? Nah. Just some folks figuring out how to make football a friendly game for themselves.