Michael Vick Promises a Different 2012 NFL Season for Philadelphia Eagles

If you happen to follow Michael Vick on Twitter, you probably saw the following tweet on Sunday, Jan. 1:

“Next seAson will be totally different. I promise!!!!”

It’s no secret that Philadelphia Eagles were not a good team for the biggest part of the year. They started with a 1-4 record, then managed to make it 3-4, only to fall to 4-8 five weeks later. Going undefeated in the last quarter of the season allowed them to avoid a losing season and finish at 8-8.

Is that a real consolation for the Eagles? Even though it soothed the suffering, I don’t really think it was enough. The Birds went all-in in the free agency, signing Cullen Jenkins, Nnamdi Asomugha, Jason Babin and Vince Young among others, but failed to reach the playoffs. With other words, they showed no improvement; in fact, they made a backward step.

Michael Vick was not the guy the fans expected to see. He ranked 14th among the league’s quarterbacks in QB rating and threw a career-high 14 interceptions.

VIck is not afraid to speak his mind. He’s not the guy the NFL rejected and the U.S. Courts put in jail. He is the leader of the team and being in his 32nd year, he knows he won’t have a lot of chances to win a Lombardi. He also knows that the Eagles want to win it too, and they are counting on his abilities.

Today was the day the Eagles had to empty their lockers. Vick was there too, willing to make his promise public. Standing in front of his locker, he said to the media:

"We know what we have here. It's only going to get better. We're going to work as hard as we can because we owe the city a lot. We owe this organization a lot as players. I take on that responsibility, and every guy in this locker room does as well."

The road of failure is not only paved with good intentions; it’s also surrounded by excuses. I won’t be the one to offer extenuation for Philadelphia’s slump. But Vick didn't seem to do that either. He simply said: “It is what it is.”

The quarterback mentioned that this year should be a motivation for everyone in the team to work harder. You could see the disappointment in his eyes and despite that, he chose to speak of the future—like an inspiring leader does.

Vick also talked about staying healthy next year and his plans to play in all 16 games of the schedule:

“I've got to get away from trying to do too much, and understanding that waking up Monday morning (not) sore doesn't mean that you didn't go out and give it your all. I think it means you played smart, and I went into the game (Sunday) with that mind-set. That's how I want to play this coming season - protecting the ball, playing smart, not taking unnecessary hits, and being there for my team.”