Vick gets six-year, $100 million deal
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
Vick gets six-year, $100 million deal
Jeff McLane, Inquirer Staff Writer
Michael Vick's return to prominence is now complete.
The Eagles and Vick have agreed to a six-year, $100 million contract with $40 million guaranteed, league sources confirmed Monday night.
The team later announced the deal, first reported by Andrew Brandt of ESPN.
The 31-year-old Vick is signed through the 2016 season. In 2007, he lost nearly everything when he was convicted on dogfighting charges and sent to prison. In the last 12 months he's gotten nearly everything -- a starting job, endorsement deals and a blockbuster contract -- back.
"I'm very happy we were able to reach an agreement with Michael on this long-term contract," Eagles coach Andy Reid said in a statement. "It's a product of all the hard work Michael has done to better himself over the last couple of years, both on and off the field. I'm very proud that he has been able to achieve success again in this league, but he'll be the first one to tell you that there is a lot of work yet to be done by him and this team as a whole. And there's no doubt in my mind that he will continue on that path. I give a lot of credit to Joe Banner and Joel Segal for getting this deal done."
Banner, the Eagles president, and Segal, Vick's agent, negotiated the contract. Vick did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Vick's deal makes him among the highest-paid players in the game -- again. His per year base salary of $16.7 million is less than only Patriots quarterback Tom Brady ($18.01) and Colts quarterback Peyton Manning ($18 million).
Brady signed a reported five-year, $78.5 million contract with $48.5 million guaranteed in Sept. 2009. Manning's deal came last month when he inked a reported five-year, $90 million contract with $54.4 million of that guaranteed.
In 2005, the Falcons signed the 2001 No. 1 overall draft pick to a 10-year, $130 million contract. Two years later Vick forfeited most of the remaining money on the deal when he was charged with running a dogfighting operation. He eventually filed for bankruptcy while serving an 18-month prison term. Vick is still in bankruptcy and owes creditors millions.
This six-year deal replaces the one-year franchise tender Vick signed in March. The Eagles had until Sept. 20 to give Vick a new contract or they would have had to wait under after the season to re-sign him. All signs, however, pointed to something getting done.
Vick would have made $16.2 million from the one-year tender, but the Eagles locked him up on Monday, confirming their commitment to him as their franchise quarterback. They also trimmed his 2011 figure to $14.4, clearing some salary cap space.
With Vick done, the Eagles could now turn their sights to DeSean Jackson, who wants a new contract. The wide receiver, in the last year of a four-year contract that will net him roughly $600,000, held out from the first 11 days of training camp.
If if wasn't clear before, however, it is now: Vick is the face of the Eagles franchise. It's a remarkable turn of events. Signed in Aug. 2009 to a two-year deal, Vick came to the Eagles in a cloud of controversy. He spent most of his first season in Philadelphia as the third-string quarterback and occasional Wildcat weapon.
When the Eagles traded away then-franchise quarterback Donovan McNabb to Washington in April, 2010, Kevin Kolb was named the starter and Vick his backup. But when Kolb suffered a concussion in the season opener, Vick came in and nearly guided the Eagles to a comeback victory. He won in the next two games as Kolb recovered and was named the starter soon after.
He went 8-3 as a starter as the Eagles won the NFC East crown. He had statistically his best season with career highs in passer rating (100.2), completion percentage (62.6) and passing yards (3,018). He earned his fourth career Pro Bowl nod and was named the 2010 Comeback Player of the Year by the Associated Press, Sporting News, and Pro Football Weekly.
In January, he signed with two small companies in endorsement deals and was welcomed back by Nike in July.
The Eagles have a press conference with Vick and Reid scheduled for Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.
Vick had 9 very good games and then reality set in. He then played the rest of the season exactly the same way he played the last two years he played in Atlanta. He was about to be sent packing from Atlanta when the "man bites dog" store it the papers in Atlanta. Vick is a nice QB, but that is about it. He isn't a $100 million dollar QB and talk about overrated.— golson@florida
Comment removed.- So true and never will when faced with a playoff caliber defense. Jim Johnson made him look like an idiot when he was a Falcon. Steelers made him look like an idiot in preseason with a vanilla version of their D. BAD MOVE! — RealizticFan
- 1 down 1 to go.— ej610
- @Just honest
I wasn't refering to his past. I'm referring to the fans saying that he couldn't play and they wanted Jeff Garcia....you people thought Jeff Garcia was better than Vick...I was TOTALLY SHOCKED that something that stupid would come out of the mouth of a philly fan...who are supposed to be knowledgeable. I quit caring about his past years ago...he's DOUBLE PAID the price in my opinion..he was made the face of dogfighting and was the most hated man in America...and he beat all the odds and gained everything back.
— elijah29 - Elijah, it wasn't just dogfighting. It was getting PLEASURE from the torture and killing of animals with his bare hands - electrocution, strangulation, bashing, etc. Not one dog. Many.
And I do hope he has reformed. Wouldn't want to see you disillusioned. Hope he is a better QB than he has been, too.— Dr Bri - Elijah, it wasn't just dogfighting. It was getting PLEASURE from the torture and killing of animals with his bare hands - electrocution, strangulation, bashing, etc. Not one dog. Many.And I do hope he has reformed. Wouldn't want to see you disillusioned. Hope he is a better QB than he has been, too. (HTML deleted) — Dr Bri
- No, no professional athlete is worth that kind of money. That goes for R. Howard too. It is no wonder our country is in the mess it is in.— fanup
- He beat the odds and got it all back,thanks to Tony Dungy,Jeff Lurie and the NFL.— bill the pill
- Comment removed.
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- Glad the Vick deal gets done... concerned about how and where the money comes from for DJ. My guess, long-term structured contract that elevates over time, with a $25-$30 signing bonus. 5 year $50 million. $30 million in signing, nice pay bump in yearly salary in year 2.— albertpa
- wow. has anyone noticed that vick is not a very good QB? as the season goes on, he wears down, and if he can't use his legs he becomes a jeff george type. slinging it everywhere, not really caring where it goes. i have zero confidence in this year's team with him at the helm.— tockeyhockey
- Could care less about his dog past...or his color....He is a bottom tear QB in this league. We watched the Falcons try to ride Vick into the playoffs and lose right in front of us. The late great Jim Johnson showed us the real Vick. Me first, can't read a blitz, gets frustrated, throws picks, wont throw it away, wont slide, and occasionally will risk the entire season making an open field tackle on a defender he just threw a pick to. Great investment. Can't wait till he gets older and takes unnecessary hits. — RealizticFan
