Yesterday, Michael Vick signed his second $100 million contract of his career. This time, it’s a flat $100 million with around 40 of it guaranteed. For someone who not only fell off the peak mountain but fell off of it and landed on his head, this is incredible.
Even though signing Michael Vick to a long-term deal is as risky as a rich white man taking a walk in Compton, this is a contract that is absolutely necessary for the Philadelphia Eagles organization.
On this blog I like to hate on the big bad contracts. I do it because they have such a high likelihood of blowing down the foundation of a franchise. Big bad contracts tend to carry a lot of risk. Big bad contracts can unnecessarily tie up salary that could be better utilized elsewhere.
However, this time, the Eagles had to pay Vick.
The Eagles had to do this after they handed the franchise over to the Underdog when they traded away Kevin Kolb. Look at it this way, Kolb is getting $20 million guaranteed and he has hardly done a thing.
At 31, Michael Vick has proven that he is an elite NFL quarterback.
You can’t always go with the safe bet. Low risk and high reward cannot always be the strategy. Elite NFL quarterbacks don’t come along very often. The Eagles are loading up on talent for the next half decade but without a leader the team would have been driving down the highway with the brakes on.
Now, it’s full steam ahead.
$100 million sounds like a lot for a 31-year-old, oft injured quarterback. In fact, $100 million is a lot for a 31-year-old, oft injured quarterback. Nevertheless, this oft injured quarterback is too special. In Philadelphia, he has received the love as a modern-day Rocky Balboa all while wearing his very own Superman cape.
In 12 games last season he threw for over 3000 yards, had a passer rating of 100.6 and rushed for 56.3 yards a game. If you’re the Eagles, there was no way that you were going to let something that special slip through your fingers.
The Eagles are praying to God each and every night that Michael Vick stays healthy. And at 31, there’s no reason to believe he will be slowing down anytime soon if he stays healthy.
Although they drastically contrast in styles, Peyton Manning is still one of the best quarterbacks in the league at age 36. Kurt Warner led his team to a Super Bowl appearance in his late 30’s. And it doesn’t seem that long but Tom Brady has reached the age of 34.
The Eagles pushed most of their chips in when they made their big splashes this off-season. There was no other choice than to go all-in with Michael Vick. They were pot committed.
This isn’t the case of a diva in disguise wide receiver who wanted nothing more than to have his ego fed. Michael Vick deserves the money he is getting. As the only man who can lead his team to the Promised Land, Michael Vick has earned his keep.
Related: Larry Fitzgerald is Only a Wide Receiver
Larry Fitzgerald might have earned his keep but he sure didn’t do what is best for his team. Michael Vick has kept more than his own interests in mind since joining the Eagles. He did everything that he was asked to and, as player who plays the most important position in the game of football, he is getting rewarded for it.
Try and justify Larry Fitzgerald getting $10 million more in guaranteed money than the game’s most electrifying quarterback. You can’t do it.
Vick’s contract seems like a bargain when you compare it with Fitzgerald’s. But bargain or not, this was a deal that had to be done.
It was a no-brainer to the Philadelphia Eagles that signing Michael Vick straight out of the slammer was the right decision. It was also a no brainer for the Philadelphia Eagles to make Michael Vick a $100 million man, once again.
Agree? Disagree? If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, please feel free to reply in the comments section below. Or you can e-mail me at [email protected]. Also, follow me on twitter @paintstheblack and I will happily return the favour.
Subscribe to my blog too and you can get the latest posts such as What to Make of Mr. Tebow’s Wild Ride?
