Michael Vick set career highs in multiple categories despite missing three games.
(Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP)—Michael Vick(notes) is making plans to get ready for
next season despite the NFL’s labor situation.
The Philadelphia Eagles’ Pro Bowl quarterback says he’ll work out with some
of his teammates on their own if there’s a lockout. The league and the players’
union agreed Friday on a seven-day extension of the collective bargaining
agreement.
“Wherever we agree to be collectively. It may be Florida, it may be Hawaii.
We’ll get our work in,” Vick said. “Being on the same page, timing, which is
very important. I think everybody has to be on one accord, all thinking the
same. Practice and film study are important, but just familiarizing ourselves
with each other, that’s going to be big for us.”
Vick was in Atlantic City to receive the Maxwell Award for outstanding
professional player. Eagles coach Andy Reid also was to be honored as the
outstanding coach in a Friday night ceremony.
Vick, who signed a one-year contract with the Eagles after being designated
the franchise player, said a long-term deal hasn’t been discussed yet. However,
it’s likely that would happen once the new CBA is agreed upon.
Under rules of the current agreement, a team must pay a franchise player the
average of the top five salaries at his position. Vick would make at least $16
million under this tag.
“We haven’t talked about long-term negotiations or my future. We just
talked about what can get done this year,” Vick said. “I think that anything
else that happens is solely on me. I think I dictate the situation based on my
play and performance and my actions on and off the field. So that ball is in my
court, I think. The most important part is going out and playing good football
and trying to bring something to the city that we’ve been looking for for a long
time.”
Vick led the Eagles to a 10-6 record and the NFC East title after replacing
an injured Kevin Kolb(notes) in Week 1. Despite missing three games with an injury,
Vick had his best season. He set career highs in passing yards (3,018), passing
touchdowns (21), rushing touchdowns (9), completion percentage (62.6) and passer
rating (100.2).
Vick was voted The Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year after
missing two seasons while serving a federal prison sentence for dog fighting and
playing sparingly in 2009.
“I always felt people always looked at me the same way,” he said. “I
never felt that if I was in a room full of people that they’d judge me. I think
they always showed respect and appreciated my presence, regardless of what they
felt. So that’s gratifying, when you don’t walk in a room and people start
formulating opinions and judging you on the spot. It’s great to be in a room
where it’s all smiles and positive energy.”
Vick also explained why he canceled an appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey
Show” last month, and said he plans to be on it at some point.
“I just thought the timing wasn’t right based on everything that was going
on with the contract, the CBA and certain things that I didn’t want to touch on
at the time,” he said. “I felt like I needed to do more in order to be on the
show to talk about the past and to talk about the present and how prosperous
things are and how bad they were and how we can move forward. I think when I do
go on, it’s going to be outstanding.”

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Vick, Eagles would work out on their own (AP)
