New England has been the rehab center of troubled football stars, welcoming in such problematic personalities as Corey Dillon and Randy Moss and transforming them into moral NFL icons both on and off the field.
Recently reinstated 29-year-old quarterback Michael Vick has a chance to be the next specimen to get a second chance in New England, and according to one popular betting Web site, the odds are high.
BetUS.com has posted odds on which NFL team Vick is most likely to join, and both the Patriots and Super Bowl champion Steelers are favored at 4-1 apiece. The 49ers and Bills are the second-most likely teams to sign Vick at 9-2.
"The ideal situation for Vick coming out of this process is to land with a respectable franchise that has strong leadership from the owner to the coaches to the players,'' BetUS.com spokesman Reed Richards told Bloomberg.com. "New England and Pittsburgh both fit that description. They would keep him on a short leash.''
Vick can sign with any team he wants per terms of his conditional reinstatement. He will be able to play in the two final preseason games but not again until Week 6 of the NFL regular season. Should no NFL team sign Vick, the United Football League, which opens in October, has a $1.5 million offer on the table for the quarterback who hasn't played professional football in two seasons.
“Playing football in the NFL is a privilege, not a right, and I am truly thankful for the opportunity I have been given,” Vick said Monday in a statement. “The last two years have given me time to re-evaluate my life, mature as an individual and fully understand the terrible mistakes I made in the past and what type of life I must lead moving forward.”
