Mike Vick wants to continue his football career in 2016.
Just don’t expect it to be in Pittsburgh.
“I would love to play this year, suit up for another run at it,” Vick told NJ.com today. “I still feel like I could play and there is a lot left in the tank.”
Last year, Vick three games for the Steelers, technically gone 2-1 but struggling to move the football, averaging only 5.6 yards per attempt. He was also sacked 10 times compared to just 66 attempts. He was benched in the second half against the Arizona Cardinals after a dreadful showing, watching Landry Jones lead the team until Ben Roethlisberger returned.
Pittsburgh declined to sign him in the offseason, instead choosing to bring back Bruce Gradkowski.
“I don’t want it to end the way it ended the last couple years,” he told the site.
While that’s an understandable point of view, it’s hard to imagine him getting any looks this year. While he still can move and flashes that big arm, his play-to-play consistency is poor. We saw the predictable effect of joining the Steelers late, a watered down playbook that limited Vick’s options, making for a sporadic and largely ineffective offense, despite the talent that surrounded him.
If this is the end for his career, Vick will finish with a career record of 65-51-1, the tie coming against the Steelers 14 years ago. He’s thrown 133 touchdown passes and rushed for 36 more, making him one of the most dynamic players of his era, though that shouldn’t be confused with one of the best.
