Michael Vick: 10 Reasons Why He'll Become Philadelphia Eagles' Best QB Ever
The Philadelphia Eagles' best QB ever is already pretty difficult to declare.
Norm Van Brocklin is the last man to lead Philly to an NFL title. But that was 50 years ago.
Since then, there've been some great candidates—Ron Jaworski, Randall Cunningham and Donovan McNabb.
But in the next three or four years, Michael Vick (assuming the Eagles resign him) has a great shot at becoming the greatest signal caller in franchise history.
Here are 10 reasons why.
No.10: Competition; The Greats
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For decades, Norm Van Brocklin was the incumbent as "Greatest Eagles Quarterback of All-Time."
He is the only man in the modern era to lead the Eagles to an NFL title, at the end of the 1960 season. And that year, his last before retiring, The Dutchman was the MVP of the league.
Although Ron Jaworski took the Eagles to their first Super Bowl in 1980, and Randall Cunningham was a great player during the late-1980s and early-1990s, the title of "Greatest Eagle QB" probably belongs to Donovan McNabb.
However, for all McNabb did—taking the club to five NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl in the span of eight seasons and rewriting the franchise's passing record—he never won a Super Bowl.
Vick doesn't need to have the type of longevity that McNabb had to be mentioned in the conversation as greatest Eagles quarterback of all time.
No. 9: Competition; The Dregs
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There is little debate about who are the contenders for the title of "Greatest Eagles quarterback of all time." McNabb, Jaworski, Cunningham and now Michael Vick are the only ones who could challenge Van Brocklin for the title.
That's because there have been so many average Eagles quarterbacks—Bobby Hoying, Koy Detmer, Bubby Brister, Ken O'Brien and even Norm Snead.
Vick has a long way to go to outdo McNabb, Jaws and maybe Cunningham. But he won't have to work hard to leap-frog just about everyone else in the team's history.
No. 8: Andy Reid Wants It
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When Andy Reid traded Donovan McNabb to an intra-division rival, he only did so because he had a good backup plan—Kevin Kolb.
As it turned out, the backup—Vick—to his backup plan was actually better.
Regardless of who leads the Eagles offense, Reid is going to do whatever he can to make that trade not seem like a mistake.
As of late, McNabb (and Mike Shanahan) are helping to make the trade look like a good idea.
Still, considering how important the position is to Reid's offense, the Eagles quarterback needs to be very productive.
Reid won't be satisfied unless Vick plays as good or better than McNabb did from 2000 to 2009. He will put Vick in situations to be successful. Over time, that could help Vick become one of the league's best quarterbacks during the next five-plus seasons.
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No. 7: The Greatest Running QB of All Time
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In terms of running beyond the line of scrimmage (and not just scrambling inside the pocket to avoid pressure), Michael Vick will finish his career as the greatest rushing quarterback of all time.
In fact, there really isn't much competition, aside from Steve Young, Randall Cunningham and John Elway.
As of today, most of his incredible runs came in an Atlanta Falcons uniform. But if Vick plays five or six more seasons with Philadelphia, there will be plenty of highlights during those years.
And although being the "greatest running quarterback of all time" doesn't necessarily make you a great quarterback, it certainly helps. That added dimension helps his team gain yardage, touchdowns and wins.
And as a quarterback, those are the No. 1 priorities.
No. 6: The Anti-McNabb
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Since the day he was drafted, Donovan McNabb has had a rocky relationship with Philadelphia's demanding Eagles fans.
Fans booed him on draft day—wishing instead they had taken Ricky Williams—in 1999. And during the next decade, there has been plenty of acrimony—the three straight NFC Championship Game losses, the vomiting during Super Bowl XXXIX, the T.O. incident in 2005, the Fox Sports reports in 2007 that he was playing his final season with the Eagles, etc.
McNabb became the team's all-time leader in every major passing category and is probably the greatest QB in team history. But because he didn't win a Super Bowl and there was so much drama during his tenure, Eagles fans and the Philadelphia media might not necessarily hold him that highly.
In the end, whenever a "greatest X of all time is chosen," it's always by the fans and/or media who make the selections. So if Vick is able to be successful for a few years, perhaps win a Super Bowl and do so without as much drama as McNabb, he could leap-frog him as the team's most cherished quarterback ever.
No. 5: The Redemption Story
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If and when the Eagles win a Super Bowl—either this season or in 20 years—it will be a great story in the National Football League. They've never won a Super Bowl and haven't won an NFL championship in half a century.
But if they were led to that world title by Michael Vick, it would make for a Hollywood-type redemption story.
Vick's resurrection from felon to Super Bowl-winning quarterback would be such an incredible story—and be widely publicized and debated—that it would outshine anything done by any other Eagles quarterback.
Whether or not it's fair to the body of work that McNabb or Van Brocklin put together, the NFL is about "what have you done for me lately?" And there's an argument to be made for Vick if he can do what no other Eagles quarterback has done in the Super Bowl era.
No. 4: Possible Longevity
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For a moment, look past Vick's fearless running style which has caused him some injuries (the ribs this season, the broken leg in 2003).
He is just 30-years-old. And by spending all of 2007 and 2008 away from football, he is probably a "young 30."
There's no reason to think that Vick cannot play five or six more seasons in the NFL. If he remains an Eagle for that time, he should reach the top 10 of the team's all-time rushing leaders.
And although he certainly won't break McNabb's career passing records, he would have plenty of chances to rewrite the single-season touchdowns and yardage records.
Those records, decent career totals, a few playoff wins and possibly a Super Bowl title might be enough of a seven-year resume to surpass McNabb's 11-year resume.
No. 3: Doing What McNabb Couldn't
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Let's assume that the Eagles win the Super Bowl this season.
Yes, it's a HUGE assumption, but not totally out of the realm of possibility. They have two exceptionally fast receivers, a very good running back and a capable defense.
If Michael Vick—just a year after McNabb is traded away—is the man who leads them to the Super Bowl, there will be a sentiment that he was better than McNabb.
By that logic, you might say Tee Martin was a better quarterback than Peyton Manning during the 1997-98 stretch at the University of Tennessee. But it's not the same.
If Vick actually leads the Eagles to the championship, he would not be a "caretaker" quarterback, the way Trent Dilfer was with the Ravens or Brad Johnson was with the Bucs. He would be the focal point of the offense—the entire team really.
For that, he would earn points in this "Best Eagles QB of All Time" argument.
No. 2: The Dual Threat
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Vick might be the most exciting quarterback in the history of the entire NFL—forget just the Philadelphia Eagles franchise.
Because the term "greatness" is open to interpretation, his electricity as a player alone would spring him into the discussion.
Championships or playoff wins don't have to be the only criteria; Dan Marino is the greatest Dolphins quarterback of all-time, despite the fact that he has no Super Bowl rings, and Bob Griese has two.
No. 1: Youth around Him
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The Eagles may not win the NFC this season. It's going to be tough to overtake the Giants for the NFC East, and they'll have a hard road to the Super Bowl in Dallas if they have to win three road playoff games. But it still might happen.
Even if it doesn't, however, the Eagles are stacked for several seasons to come. After Vick, there are two potential All-Pro skill players with him in the huddle—DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy. And there is a good chance that Jeremy Maclin plays in a few Pro Bowls before his time is up.
None of those players are even 24-years-old yet. If Vick rejoins the Eagles for the next few seasons, he will have arguably the youngest and the best receiver-back combination in the entire NFL.
That will help Vick put together both great personal stats and wins for the club.
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