Vick, who is starting in Sunday’s Pro Bowl, produced some of his best stats during the 2010-2011 season. In his eighth season in the NFL, he threw for a career-best 3,018 yards and set career highs for completion percentage, completions, and touchdowns, both passing and rushing.
Making Vick a franchise player means that the Eagles will offer him a one-year contract. Depending on the type of franchise player they tag him as, Vick is looking at a salary of approximately $20.8 million, a steep raise from the $1.6 million he earned this past season. If for some reason he chooses to negotiate with other teams and Philadelphia loses him, they are entitled to receive two first-round draft picks as compensation.
This shouldn’t be a concern, however, because Vick has already expressed his desire to remain with the Eagles organization, which helped him restart his NFL career.
“I know we’re only going to get better as a team. I would love to stay here, love to be here, and I think this team gives me the best chance of winning a Super Bowl,” Vick told NBC. “Whatever it is, whether it’s a franchise tag or long-term deal, or however my agent and the Philadelphia Eagles, or whatever team may be, work it out, I’m going to be happy. But hopefully it’s here.”
By making this move, Philadelphia is placing faith in Vick to have another stellar year and hopefully take the Birds deeper into the playoffs. If he does so, he should expect a lucrative, long-term contract after the stopgap franchise-tag year.
The Eagles will also start entertaining offers for backup quarterback Kevin Kolb. Kolb, who has stated that he wants to start in 2011. Wherever that may be, he won’t find what he’s looking for in Philadelphia.
“I love it here, as everybody knows,” Kolb told Philly.com. “My family’s settled in here. I would love to be starting here. But I want to be starting somewhere.”
Overall, the Eagles were 8-3 this season when Vick started and completed a game, finishing the year with a 10-7 record overall.
