Michael Vick Not Worth Signing

The debate about whether NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell should reinstate Michael Vick will be played out on other platforms (go beyond the traditional SportsCenter and think CNN, Today Show, etc.) In that debate, you’ll have the animal lovers decrying Vick’s return as heinous immorality. You’ll have a quieter majority supporting his second chance on the basis that he’s served his time and paid his debt to society.

Ultimately, Goodell will hold final judgment on Vick’s fate in 2009. Expect a quick ruling. The longer this debate stretches out, the worse it gets for the NFL. People will start comparing Vick to other pro players with criminal records and portraying the league as a “talent first, character second” operation.

The Commissioner’s ruling will hinge on his gut feeling about Vick’s remorse and his discussions with NFL sponsors. Goodell will do all he can to ensure that corporate America is on board with his decision. The worst scenario for the NFL is to reinstate Vick and then lose a prominent sponsor because of it. Not only would that be a financial hit, it would also be a PR nightmare.

Let’s assume, for a minute, that Vick is reinstated. The debate then shifts to whether a certain team should sign him. You’ll continue to hear the mainstream folk harp on the human side of the story. How will the owner of Vick’s new team justify the move? Will that team’s fans be receptive? How distracting will the media circus be to Vick’s new team?

But there’s a significant football element here that people are overlooking. In short, if a team signs Vick, what kind of player are they signing? We’ve never seen an NFL quarterback resume a career after a two-year prison absence. Will the 29-year-old Vick even be the same athlete he was before?

If the answer is No, then this debate becomes moot. Vick won’t even be good enough to play in the NFL. But, if he is close to the same level of athleticism as before, then the issue becomes how a team might incorporate him.

Vick was already an anomaly before going to prison. He was the anti-Chad Pennington: a lightning-fast, run-first quarterback with a rocket arm but erratic accuracy. Vick is too unconventional to just insert into an offensive system. Any offense that he orchestrates must be tweaked and tailored to fit his style of play. But no team would be willing to do this on the eve of training camp. Thus, if Vick does return, it will likely be in a backup role. Or, perhaps even in a kick return or Wildcat running back role.

No backup role player is worth the distraction of the media horde that will follow Vick. His presence will dominate a team’s training camp headlines, be even more distracting on game days and, potentially, polarize a locker room.

The only way that acquiring Vick would be a worthwhile risk is if a team was confident that he could become a genuine star quarterback by 2010. If that’s the case, we’re bound to see some club bite the bullet and take him in 2009.

By Andy Benoit
Andy@NFLTouchdown.com
www.NFLTouchdown.com