Michael Vick Partially Reinstated by NFL

Quarterback Michael Vick has been partially reinstated by commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL. According to reports, Vick can participate in preseason practices, workouts and meetings. If Vick can find a team that will sign him, he can even play in the last two preseason games. Once the season begins, Vick can participate in all team activities except playing in the actual games. Goodell has said that he would consider Vick for full reinstatement by Week 6, which is the middle of October.

"I accept that you are sincere when you say that you want to, and will, turn your life around, and that you intend to be a positive role model for others. I am prepared to offer you that opportunity. Whether you succeed is entirely in your hands." With that statement, Goodell partially reinstated Vick in the NFL.

Vick spent 23 months in prison on dogfighting charges and has said that he learned his lesson and wants to move on with his life. Goodell suspended Vick indefinitely in August 2007 and Vick was cut from the Falcons earlier this year. Vick is currently a free agent and could sign with any NFL team that wants him.

Vick made a statement of his own through his agent after learning about the reinstatement. "I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to commissioner Goodell for allowing me to be readmitted to the National Football League. I fully understand that playing football in the NFL is a privilege, not a right, and I am truly thankful for the opportunity I have been given. As you can imagine, the last two years have given me time to re-evaluate my life, mature as an individual and fully understand the terrible mistakes I have made in the past and what type of life I must lead moving forward. Again, I want to thank the commissioner for the chance to return to the game I love and the opportunity to become an example of positive change."

Vick and Goodell met on consecutive days last week with community leaders, and Goodell made the decision that Vick was ready to come back to playing football.

Fellow NFL football player Terrell Owens recently came to the aid of Vick, saying that another suspension for Vick to start the season is "ridiculous" and added that he wouldn't mind if Vick would sign with the Buffalo Bills. The full Owens quote read: "The Michael Vick situation, I think, is unfortunate. I think the way the commissioner is handling it is unfair to Michael Vick. I think he's done the time for what he's done. I don't think it's really fair for him to be suspended four more games. It's almost like kicking a dead horse in the ground. A lot of the guys around the league need to speak up. I think the players' union needs to step in because the guy's already suffered so much, and to add a four-game suspension onto a two-year prison sentence, I mean, that's ridiculous." Other NFL players have also come out to support Vick, and to try to tell the commissioner to reinstate him right away.

Now that Michael Vick is reinstated in part, the hard part for him is to find an NFL team, who will sign him. There have already been a number of teams who have said that they weren't interested in Vick, for instance the New York Giants and the New Jersey Jets. Another problem Vick has is his financial status. Vick filed for bankruptcy protection last July, and listed debts of over $20 million. If a team will sign Vick, it will most likely only be for one or two seasons, and for only a few millions per season.