Buyer’s Remorse: Is Michael Vick Still Worth His $100 Million Contract?
You knew this question would be coming. The Philadelphia Eagles are a disappointing 3-6 and their playoff hopes are dwindling. For a team with Super Bowl aspirations at the beginning of the season, their play to this point has been unacceptable. Their defense has been lousy and they can’t seem to hang on to the ball.
Then there’s Michael Vick.
After signing a lucrative $100 million contract before the start of the season, Vick has basically stunk up the field with his borderline-dreadful play. After a monster 2010 campaign where Vick posted marvelous numbers which included 3,000+ yards passing, 21 TDs, a 100.2 rating and 676 yards rushing in 12 games, 2011 has not been kind to Vick. After nine games, Vick is almost unrecognizable on the field. He’s thrown for 2,193 yards, which isn’t bad. However, he’s thrown 11 interceptions alongside 11 TD passes, which is horrible in comparison to his 2010 season where he only threw 6 interceptions. His quarterback rating is a lousy 79.8.
He was dreadful against a lousy Arizona Cardinals team last week where he only threw for 128 yards and two INTs.
With the stretch run coming, you have to wonder if the Eagles are feeling a bit of buyer’s remorse. It’s not over for Michael Vick, but at the age of 31, you’d anticipate him to have better years now and decline later. His steep drop off in production is a massive cause for concern. Right now, he’s average at best and a liability at worst. He was supposed to lead the charge in getting this team to the big dance. He has the tools around him in Jeremy Maclin, Desean Jackson and LeSean McCoy but can’t seem to get anything going. Considering the beating he takes at QB—sooner or later there has to be concern that he’ll be unable to make the plays that he’s been known to do. He’s been knocked out of several games this year and the mileage on his body is doubling what the average QB has in a season.
Six-years, $100 million with $40 million guaranteed. That’s a lot of money invested into a quarterback. Before the season started, most figured he earned it. With the season almost over, somebody in that front office has got to be questioning what they’ve done. Maybe Vick will bounce back and prove this was merely a hiccup in a great career. But if the Eagles continue to flounder, what will happen to the great Michael Vick?
The only people worth $100 million are true heroes, you know, the ones that die trying to save people’s lives. You know. The true heroes. Policemen, soldiers, firemen and average people who try to save other lives and give of themselves voluntarily to help others including animals. They do the right thing in the first place without being sent to prison to force them to do the right thing. Also, they don’t act like they care so that they can get a $100 million contract. They don’t fake it because they actually care about other things in this world besides themselves.