You could see the immense pride in Andy Reid’s face as he sat there.
Two years after taking a chance on and rescuing Michael Vick from the scrap heap, the Eagles coach had found his new franchise quarterback.
“We’d like to start this off by introducing Michael Vick, and he just signed a beautiful contract with the Philadelphia Eagles and the city of Philadelphia for the next few years,” Reid said.
Vick, who inked a six-year, $100 million deal, will be an Eagle through the 2016 season. If there was ever any doubt about him being the face of the franchise, erase it.
Reid and Vick were all smiles yesterday as they casually strolled into the NovaCare Complex. Vick was dressed in a black Eagles polo shirt, with mesh shorts and white sneakers. The quarterback joked about dressing for the occasion, then thanked Reid, Jeff Lurie, Joe Banner, Howie Roseman, Tony Dungy, his agent, his family and Roger Goodell.
“To be honest, I never thought this day would come,” Vick said. “I didn’t think it would happen this way, but that goes to show how much I know.”
Vick becomes the first NFL player — and third in pro sports — to record two $100 million contracts. In 2004, he signed a $130 million deal with Atlanta. Vick said there was “no difference”
between the two deals, yet the desire to win a Super Bowl — for this city, for this coach — is something that motivates him.
“Nothing would make me happier than to put a ring on the finger of this guy next to me — and mine, too,” Vick said. “So that’s my goal. That’s what I’m setting out to do and that’s what I’m going to rile this team up to do.”
But, as Biggie Smalls famously told us, the more money we come across, the more problems we see. Vick doesn’t believe that.
“I think, if anything, [the contract] will make me want to work harder, and just to continue to show that I’m worthy of everything that I’ve gotten,” Vick said.
