Then, Brady quickly signed his new deal with the Patriots in September, but Manning is still unsigned after this season. While Manning can use Brady’s $72 million, four-year deal (with $48.5 million guaranteed) as leverage with the Colts, he lost his chance to play poker with the Indianapolis front office.
But in wildly unexpected fashion, Michael Vick stepped up to Manning’s table.
Vick has put together an MVP-caliber season with the Eagles, and he is bound to receive a massive contract this offseason. If Vick and Manning play their cards right, they could orchestrate deals that could rival Brady’s, and if Vick or Manning holds out longer than the other — using their quarterback counterpart’s new contract as another form of leverage — they could ink an even sweeter deal.
Many believe Manning will sign a more lucrative contract than Brady’s historic deal, either because Colts president Bill Polian has a burning desire to always one-up the Patriots or because Manning is more deserving.
Vick, though, is a more interesting case. He missed two seasons due to a highly publicized stint in jail, and he’ll never win over a certain selection of the NFL fan base that refuses to forgive him. Because of that, Vick isn’t nearly as marketable as Brady or Manning, which makes him less valuable to the business operations department of many football front offices.
Also, while Vick has improved his leadership and maturity in the locker room, NFL owners have every right to be wary that Vick will reoffend, and that would cause a public-relations nightmare. Just as importantly, it could set that franchise back by years.
The Falcons got extremely lucky by quickly rebounding because they hit on quarterback Matt Ryan with the third pick in the 2008 draft, and they hired a really strong coach in Mike Smith. Without going two-for-two there, the Falcons would still be fighting to recover from the Vick disaster.
To concentrate on the positive, though, Vick has completed 63.2 percent of his passes this season — 10.6 percent higher than his last season in Atlanta in 2006, and 6.8 percent higher than his single-season best in 2004 — for 2,755 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions. He has also rushed for 613 yards and eight touchdowns.
Vick’s Eagles were supposed to be in rebuilding mode this season, but his explosion, in both statistics and leadership, have vaulted them to the top of the NFC East.
It remains unclear how hard the Eagles will fight to retain Vick, especially with quarterback Kevin Kolb waiting behind him. Obviously, it would be foolish to let Vick get away after this season, but the Eagles haven’t been overly public with their intentions.
The uncertainty with the league’s collective-bargaining agreement, which expires March 3, could also play a significant role. Any other year, the Eagles could use their franchise tag on Vick to protect themselves in a worst-case scenario, but the possibility remains that the tag will evaporate in a new CBA.
In that case, Vick would have a whole line of suitors that could potentially include every team that is looking for a spark at quarterback, such as the Dolphins, Bills, Browns, Bengals, Jaguars, Titans, Raiders, Redskins, Vikings, Panthers, Seahawks, 49ers and Cardinals.
So, while the Colts will essentially be competing for Manning against themselves (yeah, he could theoretically test free agency, but let’s be real here), Vick could open a bidding war with nearly half the league. By no means does Vick have the credentials of Brady or Manning, but the demand for his services could increase his contract requests, especially if he leads the Eagles to a Super Bowl.
There is no reason to believe Vick is worth the most lucrative contract in NFL history, at least in terms of average annual value, but if he sets it up right at the negotiating table, he’ll land a contract that will be comparable to that of Brady and Manning.
How much money should a team pay Michael Vick in free agency? Leave your thoughts below.
