Kansas City Chiefs: Why Michael Vick Is Not the Answer at Quarterback

The Kansas City Chiefs are a mess at quarterback. Matt Cassel has done all he can to show the front office that he cannot be a viable starter in the NFL and there is a reason why Brady Quinn is a career backup. 

This is a team in disarray, after finishing with a league worst 2-14 record. As a result, the former Philadelphia Eagle Andy Reid was hired to become the 13th head coach of the Chiefs, replacing the inadequate Romeo Crennel. 

Even though Reid is now in Kansas City, his quarterback Michael Vick should not follow.

Vick is not the answer.

The Chiefs have the pieces to compete in the AFC West and many experts picked them to win that division. I didn’t because this is a team that always finds a way to disappoint. 

A huge part of that is the gaping hole behind center. 

We could talk for days about the inadequateness of Cassel and Quinn, but that is a different article. The two quarterbacks threw for a combined eight touchdowns and 20 interceptions on the season.

It is clear that a change is necessary. 

I don’t blame fans for clamoring for Vick. They want a veteran signal-caller. However, the former Eagles dual-threat quarterback will only make the situation worse. 

In four seasons with Reid and the Eagles, Vick struggled heavily. He managed 52 touchdowns, but threw 30 interceptions and lost 13 fumbles. He only played in 47 games out of a possible 64 and managed a 56.7 completion rate. 

Those stats include the magical 2010 season, though. His recent numbers have been even worse. 

He has thrown 24 of those 30 interceptions and lost 7 of those 13 fumbles in the past two years. This is a player on the decline. He is not someone that Kansas City would want when they are trying for a fresh start. 

I’m not saying Vick won’t get a shot on some NFL team. He will. But, that team shouldn’t be the Chiefs. 

Earlier, I argued that Kansas City shouldn’t draft a quarterback with their number one pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. That would still be a better option than Vick, though. 

He just won’t make this team better. 

In fact, Vick and Cassel had identical completion percentages this season (58.1). Quinn posted a 56.9 percent, just for comparisons sake. 

He does edge the two lowly quarterbacks out in most other categories, but these two players aren’t exactly the greatest measuring points. 

Vick’s quarterback rating of 78.1 was 51st in the league, just edging out Tyler Thigpen and Blaine Gabbert. 

The WPA (Win Probability Added) stat is a measure of a specific player’s impact on the outcome of a game. The Eagles quarterback finished with a negative WPA, meaning he unfavorably impacted every game he was in. He finished 31st in the NFL, ironically right behind Kevin Kolb.  

Andy Reid is considered a master of quarterbacks. But, the past two years have been anything but great in Philly. Clearly, Reid’s old quarterback was on the decline and part of the reason the head coach got fired. 

Kansas City must get Reid a quarterback. 

However, that quarterback cannot be Michael Vick.