Michael Vick will turn 35 this summer and the expiration date on his NFL career is indisputably drawing close.
He’ll have an idea how close when NFL free agency opens at 4 p.m. EDT Tuesday and he is, most likely, no longer a member of the New York Jets. After serving a sentence for his role in a dog-fighting ring, Vick resurrected his career in Philadelphia, then joined the Jets last season. Although he was brought in to challenge Geno Smith for the starting quarterback job, the battle never really caught fire and Vick often seemed to be a bored bystander on the sidelines, one with no chance of becoming the starter. And, when his chance did arrive, he was an old-looking Vick, not the Vick of old. He ended up passing for 604 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions in 10 games.
The question now about Vick is which, if any, NFL team will pick him up. As the 2014 season drew to a close, he reminded Newsday that his roots are in Virginia and that he’d love to play for the Washington Redskins. “That’s home,” he said. “That’s home for me. Don’t get me excited. Don’t get me excited.” He’s likely to be a backup wherever he lands and Rich Cimini, who covers the Jets for ESPN New York, analyzed Vick’s situation recently.
He mentioned a desire to play for the Washington Redskins (he’s from Virginia), but it’s hard to imagine them adding Vick to their quarterback circus. His best bet might be the Baltimore Ravens, where former Jets coordinator Marty Mornhinweg — a Vick ally from their days in Philadelphia — coaches the quarterbacks. The Ravens don’t have an experienced backup under contract. Near the end of last season, Vick said he was capable of playing another two or three years. Good luck.
“I can be the face of any franchise,” he told Newsday in December. “Hopefully, there will be an opportunity for me in 2015. And that’s what I’m looking forward to.”
After spending most of her career in traditional print sports journalism, Cindy began blogging and tweeting, first as NFL/Redskins editor, and, since August 2010, at The Early Lead. She also is the social media editor for Sports.
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