Michael Vick’s teammates, coaches, fans and fantasy owners hold their collective breath every time he takes a snap in a preseason game. Heck, many of them do it during the regular season as well. In his nine-year NFL career (before and after prison), Vick has played in 16 games in a season only once. Despite that alarming statistic, the Eagles quarterback does not feel as though giving him the injury prone label is fair.
“I don’t think I’m injury prone at all,” Vick said according to CSNPhilly.com. “It’s not something I’m going to worry about. I’m going out and play. You know, even though I’ve had these injuries, and they’ve been minor, I’ll still go out and play the game and play it effectively without worrying about getting hit.”
Vick has already experienced a number of bumps and bruises throughout the preseason, but he told reporters those have been “fluke injuries.” In his defense, Vick has played in 12 or more games in all but two of his NFL seasons. His injuries have mostly been minor and the result of his agressive style of play. That being said, it would still be tough to argue that he’s not prone to injuries.
Last season, Vick blamed the refs for his early season injuries and said they weren’t protecting him enough. In reality, he doesn’t protect himself enough. He refuses to slide and never shies away from contact. While that is a trait that most fans and coaches admire, it’s also one that puts the team in a rough position since he is such an integral part of the offense. Until he learns to protect himself in the heat of competition, Vick will probably never get through a full 16-game season.
H/T Pro Football Talk
Photo credit: Tim Heitman-US PRESSWIRE
