Everyone loves a good redemption story. In the case of new Eagles starting quarterback Mark Sanchez, I think we may be on the verge of one of the greater ones.

You know Sanchez. Drafted fifth overall by the New York Jets and helped lead the team to two AFC Championship games, albeit on squads allowing the defense and running game to do the heavy lifting. After that, a quick decline. A lot of turnovers A lot of boo birds. A “buttfumble”.

Sanchez left New York with a touchdown to interception ratio of 68-69 and a 55 percent completion percentage, hardly inspiring numbers to be sure.

But sometimes, it takes a player a change of scenery to realize his potential. Steve Young was terrible for a likewise terrible Tampa Bay Buccaneers team until finding rescue with Bill Walsh in San Francisco. Rich Gannon was a journeyman before latching on with Jon Gruden and the Raiders. Heck, sometimes the player is already “pretty good” and makes the jump to “great.” See also, Brees, Drew, and his trek from occasional pro bowler in San Diego to lock Hall of Famer in New Orleans.

To put Sanchez in league with any of these passers today is folly. But he was once a very high draft pick, and it appears he hasn’t yet been mentally beaten down by a failure in New York City. We learned with Young, Brees and Gannon that the system matters.

Heck, Gannon and Brees both escaped from the conservative Marty Schottenheimer system to greater heights, and Sanchez played his Jets’ career primarily under Schotty’s son, Brian, another very close-to-the-vest playcaller. Gannon and Brees became MVP talents under aggressive playcallers Mark Trestman and Sean Payton.

Enter Chip Kelly.

Kelly saw something in Sanchez when he tabbed him to back up Nick Foles. Thus far, he’s proven to be a quarterbacks guru in the pros and in the college ranks alike. While Foles was his greatest success — this is a guy that looked close to washing out under Andy Reid, then tossed seven touchdowns in a game last season — Michael Vick also was putting up fine offensive numbers early last season.

What have we seen out of Sanchez so far? Last week he completed 68 percent of his passes for 202 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in three quarters of work. One of the interceptions came on a deflected pass. In the preseason, he completed 80 percent of his passes. He averaged 9.1 an attempt then and 9.2 last Sunday.  To go in the top 5 of the NFL Draft, you know a quarterback must have the physical attributes to succeed. Perhaps he now has the coaching and the system too.

For a player who had been filed away as an internet meme and laughing stock, he has a prime opportunity to wash a chunk of that stigma away on Monday night, when he and the Eagles face the Panthers in prime time.

Kelly knows of Sanchez’s history. We know Kelly has a fairly sizeable ego as well. If the Eagles get a good lead on the Panthers at home — a very likely scenario — I think we may get a Sanchez showcase, both he and coach showing off for the masses, with only Roman Harper and friends there to stop him.  

It would be a feel good story for a player who never stopped competing in New York, even as the walls on his Jets career came crashing down.

Or, we could get another buttfumble.

I guess, in a manner of speaking, that’s a feel good story as well?