Leisa
01-24-2007, 10:07 AM
The Falcons are suddenly backing their star quarterback after a tumultuous few days.
Michael Vick was cleared by police Monday of any wrongdoing at a Miami airport, four days after the Falcons general manager said the star quarterback had "let a lot of people down."
Now the team's ownership group is saying he's their starter for 2007, putting to rest rumors of a trade to Oakland or a move to Matt Schaub.
"There are no plans to trade him or cut him. Michael is our quarterback and the leader of our team. We have a new head coach (Bobby Petrino) who is anxious to start working with him. Everyone has high expectations of him going into next season. Michael has those too," Kim Shreckengost, executive vice president of the Arthur M. Blank Group told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.,
The decision to keep Vick could just as well be rooted in finances. Cutting him would mean a $23 million cap hit for the Falcons, taking a big chunk out of the allotted $109 million. Trading him could cause a headache at the turnstiles as he remains one of the league's biggest draws.
The 26-year-old Vick had been the target of jokes and sharp criticism since the incident, including a skit on "Saturday Night Live."
On Thursday, Atlanta GM Rich McKay said Vick "knows he let a lot of people down. Not just the coaches, not just me, not just Arthur Blank, but the fans. We were very clear in discussing that."
McKay said Blank, the team owner, "is upset."
After Vick was cleared, the Falcons issued a statement.
"We appreciate the speed at which the Miami authorities concluded their investigation, and we are pleased to learn of the outcome of the investigation," spokesman Reggie Roberts said.
"This is another reminder of the high-profile nature of a professional athlete and the close scrutiny players undergo related to their conduct on and off the field. We look forward to putting this matter behind us," he said.
This season, Vick became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards. Atlanta had the league's worst passing attack and went 7-9, missing the playoffs for the second straight year. Coach Jim Mora was fired and Bobby Petrino was hired.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
Michael Vick was cleared by police Monday of any wrongdoing at a Miami airport, four days after the Falcons general manager said the star quarterback had "let a lot of people down."
Now the team's ownership group is saying he's their starter for 2007, putting to rest rumors of a trade to Oakland or a move to Matt Schaub.
"There are no plans to trade him or cut him. Michael is our quarterback and the leader of our team. We have a new head coach (Bobby Petrino) who is anxious to start working with him. Everyone has high expectations of him going into next season. Michael has those too," Kim Shreckengost, executive vice president of the Arthur M. Blank Group told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.,
The decision to keep Vick could just as well be rooted in finances. Cutting him would mean a $23 million cap hit for the Falcons, taking a big chunk out of the allotted $109 million. Trading him could cause a headache at the turnstiles as he remains one of the league's biggest draws.
The 26-year-old Vick had been the target of jokes and sharp criticism since the incident, including a skit on "Saturday Night Live."
On Thursday, Atlanta GM Rich McKay said Vick "knows he let a lot of people down. Not just the coaches, not just me, not just Arthur Blank, but the fans. We were very clear in discussing that."
McKay said Blank, the team owner, "is upset."
After Vick was cleared, the Falcons issued a statement.
"We appreciate the speed at which the Miami authorities concluded their investigation, and we are pleased to learn of the outcome of the investigation," spokesman Reggie Roberts said.
"This is another reminder of the high-profile nature of a professional athlete and the close scrutiny players undergo related to their conduct on and off the field. We look forward to putting this matter behind us," he said.
This season, Vick became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards. Atlanta had the league's worst passing attack and went 7-9, missing the playoffs for the second straight year. Coach Jim Mora was fired and Bobby Petrino was hired.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.