Michael Vick Injury: Is It Possible for Eagles to Protect Vick from Himself?

Michael Vick is who he is. That is what makes him brilliant, but it is also what makes the Philadelphia Eagles and their fans flinch every time he slips from the pocket to make a play. It is his nature to make things happen not just with his arm but his legs as well. And that is unlikely to ever change.

Surprisingly, Vick suffered his concussion Sunday night during a play in which he stayed in the pocket. As Atlanta Falcons defensive end John Abraham hit him, Vick's head slammed into Eagles' lineman Todd Herremans. As Vick staggered to the sideline spitting up blood, then headed back to the locker room all I could think of was the gigantic, six-year, $100 million contract he had signed in the preseason.

Without Vick in the lineup the Eagles surrendered a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost the game, 35-31.

While conventional wisdom would suggest the Eagles should pressure Vick to remain in the pocket to avoid taking unnecessary hits—like the one that cause a rib cartilage injury and forced him to miss a month of the 2010 season—that just won't work with him. What makes Vick dangerous isn't his ability as a passer. While he has improved in that area tremendously, it's the threat that he can escape and run through a defense that makes him a spectacular player worthy of that $100 million contract.

Last season Vick played in 12 games and completed 233-of-372 passes (62.6 percent) for 3,018 yards, with 21 touchdowns and just six interceptions. His quarterback rating was 100.2, which is excellent, but he also rushed 100 times for 676 yards and nine touchdowns. His ability to escape pressure and make plays with his feet is what separates him from other quarterbacks.

Eagles coach Andy Reid is too smart to try and handcuff Vick. He knows what he has and part of the risk of putting your trust in a guy like him is that he could miss time with an injury. So the key to handing the franchise over to a guy who carries that risk into every play is to develop a solid backup quarterback. Philadelphia did that with Kevin Kolb, and now they have to hope some combination of Mike Kafka and Vince Young is ready to step in at a moment's notice.

Michael Vick is who he is at this point in his career. He's 31 years old and one of the most gifted players in the NFL. There is nothing the Eagles can do to change the way he plays the game. And they shouldn't.