Michael Vick signed a new contract with the Philadelphia Eagles worth up to $10 million.
The Eagles along with Vick announced that both sides came to an agreement early Monday afternoon after speculation that the team would either trade or release him. The deal includes $3 million in incentives, according to ESPN. He’ll receive a $1.5 million bonus if he plays in 90 percent of his team’s offensive snaps and $1 million if the Eagles win the Super Bowl.
For the most of last year, Vick was frequently injured and played inconsistently before backup rookie quarterback Nick Foles replaced him midway through the season. The Eagles’ new head coach, Chip Kelly, promised that he would have an open competition for the quarterback position with both Vick and Foles vying the starting quarterback job.
“There’s an open competition, Michael knows that. Nick knows that,” Kelly said in a press conference, according to ESPN.
Vick threw five interceptions in his last seven games compared to six touchdowns. He also struggled to hold on to the football, fumbling five times. In the games he started, the Eagles went 1-6. Like many rushing quarterbacks, Vick fell to injuries. His season ended because of multiple injuries, which Eagles fans have become far too used to.
Foles, however, certainly didn’t do much to win over his new head coach last season. The decision to sign Vick might not be a popular move among fans, but Foles failed to seize control of the starting gig in 2012. Outside of a comeback win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he offered very few moments to allow fans to believe that he could be the next franchise quarterback. In that victory, Foles completed 32 of his 51 pass attempts, for 381 yards and two touchdowns in the 23-21 victory over Tampa Bay. In his final game, he threw for 345 passing yards in a loss against the Washington Redskins despite playing with a broken hand.
Vick’s extension is a one-year try out. If Vick does not get the job done, the Eagles could part ways with him and go back to Foles. Kelly might want to give Foles a year to learn his offense and not throw a second-year player out to the wolves under a new offense for the second straight year. Whatever the case may be, Kelly and the Eagles now have the option to stick with the veteran.
Vick met with Kelly and talked about this upcoming season and how could he flourish in Kelly’s system. As the head coach at Oregon University, Kelly implemented an offense revolving around the zone-read option. The scheme revolves a dual-threat quarterback keeping defenders honest with its legs.
