Michael Vick

What are the Falcons to do now that their star quarterback has been indicted for dog fighting? He hasn't been tried and not been convicted, so from that point of view Vick deserves the benefit of the doubt that is given to all Americans: innocent until proven guilty. But if Atlanta allows him to take the field this season, it will be a circus. Vick will be personally distracted and will likely miss practice time during the season as he shuttles to Virginia for hearings and possibly the trial. Press conferences will be all about Vick's legal situation. The team as a whole will be distracted by the media circus and all the Vick questions. And recall that they are a team with a new coach and learning a new system. Road trips will be harder than usual with crowds full of people in dog costumes, taunting Vick in all manner of ways. And it will be a public relations nightmare for the team, more than it already is. It seems obvious putting Vick on the field for the Falcons is just not a good idea at this point.

So, what should they do? Suspension? No. Not only would that probably not work (the union would come down in the team and Vick would probably win), I don't think it's justified. This isn't Pacman Jones or Tank Johnson. Michael Vick has kept himself out of trouble throughout his career, until now, and so deserves some leniency--for now--from both the team and league.

Cut him? That's a tough one. Looking purely at his performance on the field, this is a valid question. He's one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the league, Peyton Manning-like money, but has yet to break 3000 yards passing in a season, and last year was the first time he threw 20 touchdowns. He has not played to the level of his contract and is not worth the money they're paying him. Given that it's unlikely Vick will take a big pay cut in a contract restructuring, cutting their losses might be a good idea for the team. The negative PR angle arising from his arrest just adds to the benefits of doing so.

On the other hand, cutting Vick would constitute a big cap hit this year and next ($6 million this year, $15 million next year). On top of that, for better or worse, Vick is the face of the franchise, a star on a team very much devoid of big names. So cutting him just may not be practical.

What's left? They need to do something that will allow him to get his pay, so the union won't come down on the team, but keeps him off the field and away from the team facilities. What is clear is that the Falcons need to move forward in training camp in the season with someone else at quarterback.