Michael Vick No Longer in Federal Custody

NFL News - July 20, 2009 - Written by Bruce

Michael Vick has completed his 23 month federal dog fighting sentence and is now free to try and get back into the NFL. On Monday two government officials visited Vick's home in Atlanta and met with him briefly inside. After the meeting, Vick went to a federal courthouse in nearby Norfolk to meet with federal officials and take care of some paperwork. Today puts an end to the two month home confinement Vick was under following his release from prison. Now he no longer has to wear the electronic monitoring device and he can resume trying to put his life back together. For a few weeks while under home confinement Vick was working a construction job earning $10 an hour. That is quite a big drop off for someone who was once the highest paid player in the NFL.

Now that Michael Vick is a free man he will begin his efforts to resume his NFL career. Vick is hoping to soon meet with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and discuss his possible return to the league. Vick is millions of dollars in debt and his hoping he can return to the NFL to help pay off his creditors. Goodell has made it clear that he wants to see remorse from Vick and that he must show that he is truly sorry about what he has done. The meeting between the two will be crucial for Vick's hopes of returning to the NFL this season. Goodell will likely decide that his time in prison was enough time away from the game and reinstate Vick immediately, or that Vick needs to serve another year away from the game suspending him until the 2010 season. Another issue is what team will give the former star a second chance as whatever team he goes to will likely face much criticism. It is important for Vick to get back into the NFL this season if he hopes to resume a productive NFL career. At 29 years old his athleticism will have declined a bit, and having three straight seasons away from the game will make it tough for him to again be a successful player.

The Michael Vick arrest created a huge uproar and it will be very interesting to see if he will be back in the NFL this year. The Falcons drafted Vick with the 1st overall pick of the 2001 NFL Draft. He made a name for himself with his explosive running abilities never before seen from another NFL quarterback. He holds several NFL records including the most ever rushing yards by a quarterback in a single season. He was a truly dynamic player and became one of the most popular players in the league. After his arrest the Falcons parted ways with Vick and he is now considered a free agent. If he does make it back into the NFL there likely will be plenty of drama surrounding him. Even though he is no longer in federal custody, Vick will remain on probation for three years.