Goodell refuses to rule out action on Vick until after meeting; Will meet with Vick soon
BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- The NFL will not discipline Michael Vick for the incident outside his birthday party, according to the league, and expects him to now meet "even higher standards" than he did when he returned to the football after a conviction on dog fighting charges.
Commissioner Roger Goodell earlier had refused to rule out the possibility that he might discipline Vick, but has chosen not to do so.
Goodell "informed Michael Vick (Tuesday) at Eagles camp that there will be no disciplinary action as a result of the incident in Virginia, based on his current understanding of the facts. Commissioner Goodell spoke several weeks ago by phone with Michael, Tony Dungy, and Eagles Coach Andy Reid. All were in agreement on the need for additional support measures to be added to Michael's plan to enhance his opportunity to succeed in life and football. These additional steps will remain confidential, but they will require Michael to meet even higher standards," read a statement released by the NFL.
Vick, the team said, will speak to reporters Wednesday. So will team owner Jeffrey Lurie.
Before announcing his decision, Goodell said Vick faces a different standard of conduct than others in the NFL.
"I want him to understand that he's in a different position than others and because of that he has to conduct himself differently," Goodell said. "He recognizes that I think and hopefully he's going to make better decisions going forward."
He later added that Vick "let himself down."
"As I said to him a year ago, he can't afford lapses in judgment, he just can't afford that," Goodell said. He is currently greeting fans here at Lehigh before sitting down with Vick.
Goodell refused to talk to reporters about the details of his thoughts on Vick, saying he wanted to sit with the quarterback first. Now that the two have spoken, though, he will not be made available to the media.
Goodell and Vick had spoken after the shooting outside Vick's birthday party, but had not met in person until tonight.
From Earlier:
Michael Vick is scheduled to meet with Roger Goodell Tuesday afternoon now that he is at Eagles training camp.
Goodell arrived at approximately 2:30 p.m. in the "Madden Cruiser," the bus named after the former NFL coach and announcer who is along for the trip. The NFL commissioner walked into the locker room at Lehigh upon his arrival. Vick exited shortly thereafter. They should have a sit down at some time today or the meeting "might even happen out on the field," according to Vick.
The two have spoken several times since the Virginia Beach shooting that occurred outside a nightclub that was hosting the Eagles quarterback's birthday. Vick said last week that "you want to look a person like [Goodell] in the eyes."
The Eagles and the league have said that they have concluded their investigations into the incident and could find no reason to discipline Vick.
Goodell "is going to talk with our football team," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "He's also going to talk to Michael. He and Michael have talked throughout here, but it's better when it's face-to-face. ... They're just going back over the things that Michael [was involved in], checking up on him and seeing how he's doing. And that's it."
Goodell is on a tour of several NFL training camps. He was in Jacksonville on Monday, flew to New York afterward and will leave from New York for Lehigh at noon. He is scheduled to also meet with reporters following a short afternoon practice.