Vick's contract brings Super expectations

Now that Michael Vick's comeback has been cemented with Tuesday's six-year contract worth up to $100 million, the Eagles and their new cornerstone quarterback can focus on the one thing that Vick's chaotic football career is missing: a Super Bowl.

"As a competitor, I don't feel like my career would be complete without that. That's the reason I've worked so hard," Vick said earlier this week. He didn't play a down Thursday night in the final preseason game against the Jets, like most of the starters on both sides of the ball.

Even as the Eagles piled up the major players during the lockout-shortened free-agency spell, it was clear that Vick, who was signed as what appeared to be a token gesture two summers ago, would be the centerpiece of the Eagles' offense.

Tuesday's contract, which has roughly $35 million of guaranteed money, put a little more certainty to that thought. Vick, 31, now can boast of having signed two nine-figure contracts in his career; this latest goes alongside the 10-year, $130-million deal he signed with the Falcons in 2004.

That was before he threw it all away and went to federal prison for 21 months for his role in a dogfighting ring.

He got out in May 2009 to seemingly few NFL prospects. Now he's back among the highest-paid players in the game, and his championship prospects are much better with the cast around him.

"It shows how much confidence they have in Mike and the leadership that he's shown," running back LeSean McCoy said. "With the support, it shows that the franchise, players, coaches and everybody is behind him 100 percent."

Vick said he never envisioned this scenario playing out even when he signed with the Eagles two years ago. They had a franchise quarterback in Donovan McNabb and a history of success with him, plus 2007 second-round pick Kevin Kolb waiting in the wings.

After only one season, though, Andy Reid dealt McNabb. Vick was the man. All he did last season was win the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award and lead the Eagles to a 10-6 record.

To hear Vick tell it, the Eagles' organization helped him as much as he helped them. "They've treated me as a man, not telling me what I want to hear but telling me what I need to hear," he said. "They've made a great contribution to my way of life and my way of thinking. Like I said, I think that's the reason I'm here now, the reason I have this opportunity, and the reason I'll make the most of it."

Vick's deal is good for the Falcons, too. They will get to recoup $6.5 million in bonus money that Vick owes them, part of nearly $20 million that Vick owes to creditors after his arrest in 2007.

Now all that's left is to focus on football. With McCoy, DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and former Giant Steve Smith around him, that should be the easy part."I think back to when I first got here and the commitment that I made to myself and to Andy that I'm going to change," Vick said. "I've always been a guy that's worked hard, and I see the progress that's been made in my career and why I've stopped. It's something that drives and motivates you, and I'm motivated now because I play with such great teammates and we have the opportunity to do something special."