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Eagles QB Michael Vick gets clearance to return

The Eagles said Thursday that Michael Vick has been cleared by an independent neurologist to play again.

Philadelphia Eagles' Michael Vick walks the sidelines in the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012, in Philadelphia. (Michael Perez/AP)
Philadelphia Eagles' Michael Vick walks the sidelines in the first half of an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012, in Philadelphia. (Michael Perez/AP)Read more

The Eagles said Thursday that Michael Vick has been cleared by an independent neurologist to play again.

The veteran quarterback already had been declared out of Thursday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals and did not dress. He will be able to return Dec. 23 against the Washington Redskins.

When Vick returns, he'll be the backup for Nick Foles.

Vick suffered a concussion Nov. 11 and endured a slow recovery. He stagnated at the fourth stage of the five-step process, having trouble with the ImPACT test that measures cognitive function. Vick's eye tracking was an ongoing issue until he passed the test Monday.

Patterson will be paid

A day after placing Mike Patterson on the non-football illness list, which triggered a clause in his contract that took back approximately $150,000, the Eagles decided to pay the rest of the defensive tackle's salary.

"We were looking at the contract, and at the end of the day it is about the players," Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said in a statement. "So we made it happen. I called Mike Patterson [on Thursday] and told him that we all care about him and can't wait for him to get back."

Patterson contracted viral pneumonia last week and was briefly hospitalized. The defensive tackle missed Sunday's game in Tampa but was home and resting earlier this week. The Eagles decided Wednesday, however, to end Patterson's season when they needed to clear a roster spot for fullback Emil Igwenagu.

Patterson's agent, Peter Schaffer, told The Inquirer Wednesday that he planned to file a grievance through the NFL against the Eagles. He said his client most likely contracted the illness while working and called Roseman's decision "wrong and petty."

A day later, Schaffer's colleague, J.R. Rickert, said that "our long-standing relationship with the Eagles allowed for a successful resolution to our differences."

Patterson, 29, played in only five games this season and finished with nine tackles and one sack. He missed the first half of the season as he recovered from January surgery to remove an arteriovenous malformation from his brain.

The Eagles first placed Patterson on the non-football injury list in late August and reduced his pay 50 percent, which resulted in a loss of about $1 million from his base salary. He was paid in full for the five games in which he played, and now will be paid his full salary for the final three games after the Eagles renegotiated his contract.

Extra points

Clay Harbor started at tight end in place of Brent Celek, who was inactive while recovering from a concussion. Colt Anderson started at safety for Kurt Coleman, who missed his second consecutive game with a sternum injury. Bryce Brown again replaced LeSean McCoy (concussion) at running back.

The Eagles also deactivated running back Chris Polk, wide receiver Greg Salas, and tackle Matt Kopa.

Fullback Stanley Havili suffered a hamstring injury in the second quarter. He was replaced by Igwenagu.