Eagles Notes: Vick wins ruling on bonuses

Michael Vick hasn't had many - some would argue any - big plays on the football field since joining the Eagles, but he had a great day in court yesterday.

A federal appeals court ruled against the NFL and for Vick in a case that means the quarterback won't have to repay more than $16 million in roster bonuses he received from the Atlanta Falcons.

An Eagles spokesman said Vick would be available today to answer questions about the court victory. Attempts to reach Vick's agent, Joel Segal, were unsuccessful.

The ruling in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in Minneapolis affirmed an earlier decision by Judge David Doty, who said Vick had already earned the bonus money from the Falcons before being convicted on dogfighting charges that led to an 18-month prison sentence. Vick played with the Falcons from 2001 through 2006.

Vick had to file for bankruptcy and still owes money to creditors as part of the court-approved bankruptcy plan.

Vick signed a two-year deal with the Eagles in August and has played sparingly with little success through the first eight games of this season. During an interview with NBC that aired Sunday night, he indicated that he would have a difficult time returning to the Eagles next season, when he is scheduled to be paid $5.9 million.

He will no doubt be questioned about those comments before practice today at the NovaCare Complex. During an interview with the Associated Press after Sunday night's loss to Dallas, he said he hadn't been surprised by his role with the Eagles.

"It's what I thought it would be," Vick said. "I knew I couldn't come in and do anything that would disrupt the rhythm of the offense and what we had going on here. I knew I was going to have to be patient."

No substitute. The Eagles' Nov. 22 matchup with the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field will remain the nationally televised night game, NBC said yesterday.

The Week 11 game was the first Sunday night game that could be changed as part of the NFL's flexible scheduling.

The Eagles are 0-7 in Sunday night games since NBC took over the telecasts in 2007. One of the seven losses was at Chicago last season.

Contact staff writer Bob Brookover at 215-854-2577 or bbrookover@phillynews.com.