Michael Vick Is Starting Fresh With the Same Old Risks As Before

Michael Vick has been, to say the least, impressive so far this season. He has been said to have matured greatly since his stint in jail for dog fighting and he has now earned his shot at starting for an NFL team once again.

Yesterday, however, fans and analysts who have been patting Vick on the back for his great start were brought back down to earth. Vick was injured in the first half of the Eagles match up with the Washington Redskins, suffering a rib injury that kept him from returning to the game.

In a game that was hyped up as Donovan McNabb's return to Philadelphia, Vick failed to uphold his end of the performance. After all, this was supposed to be his chance to prove himself worthy of his position on the depth chart.

Yet, the risk is the same with any mobile quarterback: when you venture into the open field, you leave yourself vulnerable for big hits.

Unlike other quarterbacks, Vick for some reason refuses to utilize his ability to slide and avoid those big hits.

This style of high risk, high reward quarterbacking is what has always separated Vick from being one of the greats in this sport. With his dynamic abilities, almost any team would benefit by having him as its starter. But, as we have seen in the past, Vick has once again failed to remain on the field long enough to make an impact on the season.

Of course, it is only Monday, and we do not have all of the details of Vick's rib injury. Yet, this should serve as a reminder to all who have jumped on the bandwagon so quickly—Vick does not come without risk.

His athleticism needs to be matched with intelligence and learning within the game of football. Vick may be able to run all over the field, but just because he can, does not mean he should.

There is an age old saying that young quarterbacks learn when they first start to develop in high school leagues—live to play another down. Throw the ball away, take the sack, slide before you get hit, but live to play another down because the team needs you for an entire season, not just one highlight on Sunday.