When last we left our favorite soap opera, the plot was thickening on the set of “As the Birds Turn.”

On Sunday in Carolina, the Eagles had two active quarterbacks on their roster. Donovan McNabb was playing quarterback; Kevin Kolb was holding a clipboard on the sideline. Michael Vick? He was ineligible, wearing a suit in the owner’s box.

Enter one 300-pound lineman who landed on McNabb in the end zone in the third period.

Exit Donovan. Enter Kolb. Yesterday, the plot thickened.

When the Birds convene for practice down at the Nova Care Center today, they will have four active quarterbacks on their roster.

Donovan McNabb is still nursing a fractured rib. His status for Sunday’s home opener against the Saints is doubtful. It appears Kevin Kolb will be the starter. But he’ll have company. The Eagles yesterday signed a former No. 7, Jeff Garcia, and also activated the current No. 7, Vick, even though he can’t play on Sunday.

Following this? That makes three of the four quarterbacks eligible to play on Sunday who have been to Pro Bowls. Guess which one is starting on Sunday? That’s right, the guy who has played all of one half in Baltimore last year after McNabb was unceremoniously pulled, and a quarter and a half of mop-up duty Sunday in Carolina. Kolb did not exactly distinguish himself in either.

All I can say is Kolb better not struggle. Garcia made it clear during an appearance yesterday on Mike Missanelli’s afternoon radio show on 950 ESPN that he was confident he could start with just a couple of days practice.

McNabb likely will sit out Sunday, although don’t hold your breath waiting for Andy Reid to tell anyone that. That makes Garcia the backup.
Even more interesting is the move to activate Vick, despite the fact that he can’t play Sunday while he serves the second week of his suspension for his dog-fighting conviction. It’s clear the Eagles want to get Vick another full week of practice before he is eligible to play Sept. 27 against the Chiefs at the Linc.

In order to make room for Vick, someone had to go. The ax fell on wide receiver Hank Baskett, who probably made as many headlines for his wife (Playboy playmate Kendra Wilksinson) than for his 72 catches in 48 games.

Want a worse-case scenario? Kolb struggles Sunday. Andy pulls the plug on his former top draft pick and goes to Garcia in the second half.
Garcia rallies the team to a come-from-behind win.

Now what does Andy do, with both Vick and Garcia available the following week? And how does Donovan react to another star turn for Garcia. Didn’t we go down this road once before?

Stay tuned.

One person who will not be staying tuned is former No. 1 draft pick Shawn Andrews.

To make room for Garcia, the Eagles placed Andrews and his balky back on injured reserve, thus ending his season.

It likely also ended Andrews’ career as an Eagle.

No one is saying it, but you get the idea the Eagles had basically reached the end of their rope with Andrews, who missed most of last season while battling depression, then injured his back and underwent season-ending surgery. This summer he missed the entire preseason after tweaking his back in a run on the first day of practice. Andews finally returned in the week before the opener, then begged off again saying he had aggravated his back.

If you read the Eagles’ statement, you will notice a distinct change of style from the way they usually handle injuries. The team made a point of saying Andrews had gained medical clearance to return, but was unable to get on the field to practice.

In the soap opera that has become the Philadelphia Eagles 2009, Shawn Andrews’ bubble just burst.

Stay tuned.