Michael Vick: Nobody Should Be Questioning Vick's Physical Toughness

We're only three games into the regular season, and it's already shaping up to be a rough one for Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick. Thanks largely to Vick's own inefficiencies, the Eagles have dropped two straight games, in which Vick has suffered a concussion and a badly bruised right hand.

As they always are, the natives in Philadelphia are quite restless.

The good news is that they should be able to rest a little easier in the next couple of days. While it was originally feared that Vick's injured right hand (i.e. his non-throwing hand) would keep him out of action against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, there's a report out that suggests otherwise.

Per Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the word around the campfire is that team sources expect Vick to be able to play this weekend. It's a simple matter of waiting for the swelling in his hand to go down, and indications are that it will.

The report isn't much of a surprise, really. The idea that Vick would miss a game because of an injury to his non-throwing hand always did seem a little odd, and I think people definitely overreacted to it. Whereas they could have given Vick the benefit of the doubt, many chose to accuse him of having a clear lack of physical toughness.

Let's be honest about one thing: this is an absurd accusation.

Listen, I do think you can argue the point that Vick is injury-prone, as it seems like he's always battling a nagging injury of some kind or another. But one thing that I think we underestimate is just how much Vick gets battered around, which is saying something when you consider how much we acknowledge that fact. Thanks to a combination of his style of play and Philly's porous offensive line, Vick takes a beating week-in and week-out.

So, as much as a lot of people don't want to hear it, we're not talking about a guy who is some kind of sissy. We're talking about a guy who is probably lucky that he's able to walk on his own two legs after every game. Make no mistake, physical toughness is not his problem.

If you want to question Vick's mental toughness, on the other hand, that's an area where I really can't disagree with you.

I think we all know the reason why. As physically tough as Vick may be, there is something a little alarming about his willingness to openly beg for more flags when he gets hit. Being constantly battered and bruised has clearly gone to his head.

Is this going to be an enduring issue? I'm inclined to say maybe and maybe not. If Vick manages to pick up his game and lead the Eagles to a few wins, I think his frustration is going to go away in a hurry. If he and the Eagles keep struggling, I think it's not only going to remain, but get worse.

So, never mind Vick's body. At this point, I think it's a better idea to worry about his head.