Michael Vick Injury: Should the Philadelphia Eagles Sweat His Monster Contract?

When Michael Vick was seen walking to the locker room during the third quarter of the Philadelphia Eagles' 35-31 loss to the Atlanta Falcons last night I couldn't help but think of his contract. The 31-year-old quarterback inked a six-year, $100 million deal during the preseason and it only took two games for him to end up on the shelf.

While Vick's concussion is being deemed "slight," there is still a chance he will miss time. The NFL and its teams take concussions very seriously and the Eagles will be cautious with their superstar quarterback. While seeing their $100 million man walking off the field during a game is never good, the Eagles don't have to start worrying about Vick's long-term prospects yet.

While I was surprised when Philadelphia gave Vick so much money, I understood the move. The Eagles wanted to lock up stability at the quarterback position after a few years of uncertainty. The franchise clearly wanted to make sure it would have the same guy under-center for the foreseeable future so it could go about the business of locking up the weapons around him.

The key to Vick's contract was the assumption that he would stay healthy. Given how he plays the game—the way he scrambles, runs and gets every bit out of himself when he's on the field—that is definitely not assured.

Vick has been banged up before. Last season he suffered a rib injury that left him sidelined for nearly a month and has dealt with other minor injuries as a result of his playing style.

While there is no reason for the Eagles to panic or start sweating over Vick's deal, they should certainly be cautious. Even if his current concussion is mild, Philadelphia shouldn't rush its star player back. Concussions can go from minor to recurring very quickly, and Vick should be 100 percent healthy before the Eagles allow him on the field again.

The Eagles need to be patient to protect both Vick's health and their long-term investment.