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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick saw his career revitalized under Andy Reid during five mostly successful seasons in midnight green. He earned NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors in 2010 while securing a trip to the wild-card round of the playoffs. He was rewarded with a six-year, $100 million contract prior to the 2011 campaign. That’s when things fizzled.
Reid was fired after a disappointing 2012 season, then Chip Kelly eventually benched Vick in favor of Nick Foles. The rest is history. Vick detailed how things played out during a wide-ranging interview with the New York Post. In it, the 42-year-old player-turned-analyst made a stunning admission about not working hard enough at times, maybe he could have been more focused. He also didn’t like the way Reid — the future Hall of Fame coach who believed in him and gave him a second chance when no one else would — was shown the door.
“My career with the Eagles should have been better,” Vick told Steve Serby. “I could have stayed focused a little more and definitely worked a little harder, especially when we were having our rough years. It was a great run, it was a great ride, and when Andy left I was just sad. When Coach left, I was different. I was a little bitter. I hated the way Coach was kinda treated a little bit.”
#MichaelVick forever grateful to #AndyReid for #NFL second chance #SuperBowl #chiefs #eagles
Remember, the Eagles signed Vick less than three months after he was released from a state penitentiary in Kansas. He was coming off a 19-month sentence for atrocities related to dogfighting at the time. Reid, with Jeffrey Lurie’s full support, reached out a compassionate hand.
“He believes in people, and he gives you opportunity regardless of where you come from, what you look like,” Vick said. “He’s always been that way. He’s just a guy who was always open, always candid, cared about us as players, cared about us as men.”
Eagles Land in Arizona After Pep Rally at the Linc
The Eagles hosted a high-energy pep rally at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday morning for fans to show their support before the team boarded a flight bound for Arizona. Hundreds filed into the stadium and cheered the players on during the ticketed event, with hundreds more waiting outside to catch a glimpse of Jalen Hurts, Brandon Graham, Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, A.J. Brown, and the rest of the guys. The atmosphere was electric.
Appreciate the love and support #EaglesEverywhere 💚
Head coach Nick Sirianni said: “If you’re going to Arizona, be loud like you always are. Go Birds!”
Seven hours later, the Eagles’ plane touched down in Arizona. Yes, it’s officially Super Bowl week.
QB1 in PHX 🔥 @JalenHurts #SBLVII
Donovan McNabb Shouts Out ‘Lil Bro’ Jalen Hurts
Former Eagles franchise quarterback Donovan McNabb has been serving as head cheerleader on Twitter where he has posted celebratory messages after each of the team’s playoff wins. He is very much in Philly’s corner as they prepare to bring home another Lombardi Trophy. McNabb has also been mentoring Jalen Hurts — quietly and privately, not in any official team role — ever since the Eagles selected him in the 2020 NFL draft.
Hurts acknowledged McNabb’s mentorship, as well as continued support from Michael Vick. Both of those quarterbacks were childhood heroes, so having a relationship with them all these years later is surreal.
“I appreciate that a lot,” Hurts said of support from McNabb and Vick. “Those are guys that I have watched as a kid, looked up to for a long time, and I’ll have them here. Kind of blazing their trails, and, you know, trying to create new ones. Those are guys I have a lot of respect for.”
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Ex-Eagles QB Makes Stunning Admission: ‘Should Have Been Better’