On a Monday night last November at FedEx Field, everyone thought it was Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb who had gotten paid. But it really was Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick who was stuffing his pockets with money — $100 million worth.
The news came out earlier this week that the Eagles had signed Vick to a reported six-year, $100 million contract, of which an estimated $40?million is guaranteed.
Vick did his negotiating for that lucrative contract, though, on Nov.?15, 2010, when he put on an unforgettable six-touchdown performance in a 59-28 demolition of the Redskins before a national TV audience on “Monday Night Football.”
Vick would go on to have other strong games and finished the season as a candidate for NFL MVP with 21 touchdowns, six interceptions, 3,018 yards and a 100.2 passer rating over 12 games. By far the best season of his tumultuous career and particularly noteworthy after serving nearly two years in prison for his role in a dogfighting ring.
But you could make the case he became a $100 million player that night at FedEx Field. He completed 20 of 28 passes for 333 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 80 yards and two more scores, finishing with a mind-boggling 150.7 quarterback rating.
It came to define everything that Vick can be.
The Eagles have taken a calculated risk investing so much in Vick, whose comeback from prison nearly ended last summer when he was caught up in a shooting that took place at an ill-fated birthday party for him in Virginia Beach.
The reward, though, can be seen in games like the one he had against Washington, when Vick became the first player in NFL history with at least 300 yards passing, 50 yards rushing, four passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a game.
“I’ve had some great games in my day,” Vick told reporters after the game. “But I don’t think I’ve had one quite like this one.”
The irony is that it was supposed to be the night McNabb, the former Eagles quarterback and Vick’s mentor, got paid big bucks by the Redskins. Team officials had announced that day they signed McNabb — since traded to the Minnesota Vikings — to a five-year contract extension worth $78 million. As we now know, that figure was an illusion, as was this statement that day by McNabb’s agent:
“This is what Donovan wanted: to have a long career in Washington and end his career here. That never changed,” Fletcher Smith said before the game. “And the fact that we could get this done tonight, with the Redskins playing the Eagles on Monday night and everything that goes with that — I couldn’t have written a better script.”
This turned out to be a script with a twist, though. It was Vick, not McNabb, whom the Washington Redskins were making a rich man.
Examiner columnist Thom Loverro is the co-host of “The Sports Fix” from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday on ESPN980 and espn980.com. Contact him at [email protected].
