Michael Vick's Release from Prison: Will He Return to the NFL?

Michael Vick is set to be released from prison on May 20th after being convicted on federal dog fighting charges in the fall of 2007. Many sports fans think that Michael Vick will never be able to regain the notoriety and stature that he once possessed. Some even believe that he might never get a chance to play football in the NFL again. Still, there are others who believe that it is only a matter of time before Vick will be back at the helm of an NFL team commanding the offense just as he once did.

It is pretty safe to say that no matter what the future of Michael Vick is, it will not be with the Atlanta Falcons - well at least anytime soon. Quarterback Matt Ryan (a rookie last season with Atlanta) showed that he has what it takes to help the Falcons win. Unlike Michael Vick, Matt Ryan isn't as much of a threat on the ground, but he has silenced the nay-sayers. Had it not been for Ryan's stellar performance as a rookie, Vick may have had a shot at returning to the team that once selected him as first overall in the 2001 NFL Draft.

So what is the future of Michael Vick? Right now he is still under contract with the Atlanta Falcons. Yes, the same contract that set records for the richest NFL deal in history back in early 2005. It was then that Michael Vick signed a 10-year contract extension worth $130 million and a guaranteed $37 million in bonuses. After being made the richest player in NFL history in 2005, Vick vowed to prove that he was worth every penny. To say the least he has fallen short of his promise. So the question is should any other team really take a chance with Michael Vick? Another question many are asking is does Michael Vick even deserve another chance to play in the NFL?

Personally, I will not be the first person to throw a stone. While I wholeheartedly disagree with his actions which led to his imprisonment, I believe that people deserve a second chance (and even third, fourth and fifth). We all make mistakes. But will other NFL owners feel similarly? And if they do, will the fans ever truly embrace him as "their" quarterback?

I believe the answers to those two questions are yes and yes. I am sure that some team will eventually trade for Michael Vick in hopes that he is still as capable as he once was to win. In the world of sports (and in the world in general) people seem to have very short term memories when it comes to people in the spotlight. In fact, the more drama surrounding a certain player, the bigger crowds they tend to bring in. Can somebody say Terrell Owens?

If Michael Vick is able to come back and play like the Michael Vick of old, then in about a year or so, most (if not all) of the things that he has been dealing with for the past couple years will have faded away. People will once again be wearing #7 jerseys with Michael Vick's name stretched across their backs. He will be heralded as a player that dealt with extreme adversity and triumphed over it.

However, if Michael Vick comes back and fails to be the NFL star that he once was, Michael Vick will be the one fading away. His past two years that he spent in jail will be the thing that NFL fans will remember him by. His name will become synonymous with the likes of Pete Rose and the very name, Michael Vick, will have an eternal stigma attached to it.

Has Michael Vick really learned his lesson? Has he become a better man through his adversities? Hopefully he has. But regardless of the man he has become over the past two years, we live in a fickle world full of fickle people (me included) with fickle opinions. If Vick fails to live up to the expectations, most of which are unrealistic, that NFL fans all over the world have placed upon him and his return, then all of that won't matter anyway. Well at least not enough to change people's opinion of him.

My hope is that Michael Vick will return the type of man that all of his young fans once believed he was. Perhaps, he will become the role model that he was once made out to be. Either way, Michael Vick will surely again make a name for himself. The only question is what name will that be?

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