Michael Vick, one of the most intriguing figures in NFL history, says he is retired

Michael Vick probably will never find himself in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but his impact on the NFL is unmistakable.

Now that Vick has officially retired according to SI.com’s Jonathan Jones, it’s time to put Vick’s career in perspective. The problem is, that’s not an easy thing to do. There aren’t many players whose careers included such exhilarating highs and unfathomable lows.

Even as dual-threat quarterbacks have become common, especially on the college level, nobody has ever matched Vick’s combination of sheer speed and incredible arm strength. He could throw the ball halfway down the field with a simple flick of his left wrist. There aren’t many NFL games in which the person who can throw it the furthest and run the fastest are the same person, but that was the case in most games Vick played. There has never been another player like Vick. It might be a long time before there’s another.

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That’s what leaves his career ultimately disappointing. His career passer rating is only 80.4. Vick never made a Super Bowl. He did have 6,109 rushing yards and was perhaps the best running quarterback of all time. He was the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for 6,000 yards. But his brilliance was seen typically in flashes, and not over a full season. His best season was probably with the 2010 Philadelphia Eagles, when he threw for 21 touchdowns and six interceptions and rushed for 676 yards and nine touchdowns, and that season was entirely unexpected after his time in prison.

The story of Vick’s career can’t be told without his involvement in a dog-fighting ring and the 21 months he spent in federal prison as a result. The story turned him into one of the most hated players in the NFL, though he spent the rest of his career trying to rehabilitate his image.

His career was practically done after struggling badly for the 2015 Pittsburgh Steelers when he had to fill in for Ben Roethlisberger. He was 36 last season and never got a contract. After a year out of football, he has retired.

“I’m kind of looking at life from a different perspective now,” Vick told SI.com. “I’ve got kids growing that I’ve got to be there for. I was committed in 2016 to giving it one more shot. I’m very content with my career and what I’ve been able to accomplish. I accomplished more than I ever thought I would.”

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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