Michael Vick Thinks Kyler Murray Could Be NFL’s ‘Next Michael Vick’

It happens every year, usually after minicamps break for the summer. Everyone wants to know which young, athletic quarterback could turn out to be the next Michael Vick. Well, Vick had a few ideas about that very subject when asked by Adam Lefkoe.

Vick, now an NFL analyst for FOX Sports, appeared on The Lefkoe Show Tuesday and immediately told everyone that the correct answer is Kyler Murray. The former Falcons and Eagles quarterback was a nightmare matchup for opposing defenses, with his rare combination of breakaway speed and rocket-launcher arm. Vick sees the same kind of “wiggle” in Murray.

“Up until last year I would say Lamar [Jackson] because he has what it takes,” Vick told Lefkoe. “But when I watch Kyler Murray, even though he’s in a different system than Lamar, and pretty much the system that he is in now is the system he was in at Oklahoma. It’s going to look exactly the same, just the hashes are a little tighter.”

Murray, chosen with the No. 1 overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals, was knocked by some scouts due to his lack of size. He measures just 5-foot-10 and weighs 207 pounds — and his hands are underwhelming by NFL standards, at 9.5 inches. Vick, of course, dealt with many of the same criticisms and issues during his 13-year career.

“Can he do it with the extra space? I don’t know,” Vick told Lefkoe. “But he’s the guy that can wiggle and with his stature, not being able to be seen by defenders, and what he brings to the table. He’s going to be a problem. He’s going to give defenses hell.”

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Vick Had to ‘Man Up’ While Serving Time in Federal Prison

Vick dropped previously unrevealed knowledge about his time at Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary during the interview, too. He spent 21 grueling months in the Kansas prison for his involvement in a dogfighting ring known as Bad Newz Kennels. Vick served hard time and returned to the NFL after the Philadelphia Eagles offered him a second chance. At the time, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said he thought Vick could become an “agent of change.”

On Tuesday, Vick admitted being in prison “scared him” and forced him to “man up.” He offered that he might even write another book detailing the whole experience.

“It was weird. I came in at a real weird time of day, it was lunchtime,” Vick told Lefkoe. “You just have to walk right into the cafeteria, or the Chow Hall, which is what they call it. I’m just looking around like where do I sit — there’s a section over there, a section over here — and you don’t know where you’re welcome. I just had to man up.”

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The superstar athlete never had to deal with that kind of humiliation. While his hometown of Newport News, Virginia was a notoriously tough place to grow up — Vick admittedly was surrounded by gangs and drugs —  he was always protected and guarded due to his on-field accomplishments. That wasn’t the case at Leavenworth where they “just throw you in a building with 455 guys” and let you sink or swim.

“I just sat down where I wanted to sit. I didn’t care about who was looking at me, or making an assumption of what I looked like and sizing me up,” Vick said. “I cared about nothing. Those were the things I did in like my first two weeks, just to make sure I secured myself.”

Vick announced his retirement from the NFL on February 3, 2017 after playing for four different teams, including the Falcons, Eagles, Jets and Steelers. He holds the record for the most career rushing yards by a quarterback in (6,109) and the most rushing yards by a quarterback in a season (1,039). He also threw for 20,464 passing yards and 133 touchdowns.

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