National Football League

Michael Vick pleads his case for one final NFL chance

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:29 p.m. ET

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Aaron Torres

Whether you love him or hate him (and there are definitely plenty in both corners) there’s little doubt that Michael Vick has been one of the most transcendent football players of the last decade and a half. And even as he’s aged, it’s not like Vick has fallen completely off the football map. He threw for 12 touchdowns just three seasons ago.

Since then though, it’s been a quick and precipitous fall for the former No. 1 overall pick, but there’s still at least one person who doesn’t believe Vick is done just yet: That is Michael Vick himself.

He is in Florida training, according to an interview he did with ESPN, and believes he’s got enough in the tank for one last go-around in the NFL.

"I'm on the grind. I'm down in Florida with the family waiting on an opportunity," Vick said. "This is the last year for me and I am going to wait it out. I just want to put the helmet on one more time and dedicate myself to the game one more year."

From there Vick continued, explaining his workout routine. It includes running a mile every other day, which for a player whose forte is sprinting, is a lot. He is also running with a weighted vest, and ankle weights as well, and believes he’s regained some of the speed he’s lost through the years.

As a matter of fact, according to Vick, he’s in the best shape that he’s been in, in a while.

"I think I'm in better shape now than I was last year. Last year I was a little in my feelings, a little depressed thinking I should've been somewhere. Now I understand where I'm at. ... That's why I been trying to work as hard as I can. I feel like last year I didn't really show what I could do."

Simply put, it’s interesting to hear Vick speak that way, and admit that while he still hopes to play, he also wasn’t in the right frame of mind last season. It probably should come as no surprise, as the last few years haven’t gone to plan at all for the former superstar. After leaving Philadelphia following the 2013 season it has basically all been downhill. There was a disappointing year two seasons ago with the Jets, and things never really got better in Pittsburgh in 2015 either. Despite starting a handful of games, he was limited to running the scout team by the end of the season.

Of course while Vick is saying all the right things, the question will be, does anyone want him? There certainly isn’t a premium on aging quarterbacks whose best attribute remains their speed, although then again, the way things are going, who knows? After all, we’ve seen in recent days that with injuries to guys like Kellen Moore and others, there will always be a need for good, veteran back-ups at quarterback, and in some cases even starters.

So will Vick end up getting that one final shot? It’s not likely, but given everything we’ve seen, stranger things have happened.

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