michael vick wants to retire from the NFL as a member of the Atlanta Falcons. This is not unheard of, as NFL teams like to invite back influential players to allow them to retire in front of the fan base that they helped build with their original teams. While the Falcons have not announced whether or not they will accommodate Vick, the former star quarterback made it clear that he wanted to return to Atlanta to end his career there. However, there are outside situations that might make this less than comfortable for Atlanta.
Ceremonial retirement contracts
When superstar NFL players leave the teams they spent most of their careers, they are often invited back with a ceremonial one-day contract to retire with the team that they made their name with. A recent example of this is Dallas Cowboys all-time sack leader DeMarcus Ware. He left the Cowboys to play for the Denver Broncos, where he won a Super Bowl title. However, when he retired at the end of last season, he agreed to a one-day ceremonial deal to retire as a member of the Dallas Cowboys. Emmitt Smith did the same thing years ago.
The Michael Vick controversy
Of course, the elephant in the room concerns how Michael Vick ended his career with the Atlanta Falcons.
Vick didn't leave Atlanta because another team offered him money or because the Falcons traded him to move on due to skill set or needs. Michael Vick left the Atlanta Falcons because he was convicted of financing a dog fighting ring and was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison. The Falcons released Vick while he was in prison.
Michael Vick served his time in prison and received a second chance in the NFL, starting for the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets before finishing his career as the backup for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015. Vick has not played since 2015 and is ready to hang up his cleats and retire.
While Michael Vick served his time and has worked hard to turn his life around and help others through charities and other organizations, there are many people who refuse to ever forgive him for his role in the dog fighting rings.
Many of those are Atlanta Falcons fans who supported Vick only to see him betray their trust and cost them a playoff contending team for years.
The chance of the Vick retirement in Atlanta
The saying is to never say never and if Michael Vick wants to return to the Atlanta Falcons to retire where he started, there is a good chance it could happen. Vick said he is a "dirty bird for life" in a tweet and told a CBS affiliate that he will learn of Atlanta's decision "hopefully soon." While playing for the Falcons, Vick threw for 22,464 yards with 133 touchdowns while also running for 6,109 yards and 36 touchdowns. He led the Falcons to the playoffs in 2002 and 2004.
