During the years of 1999 and 2000, the Atlanta Falcons had a bad taste in their mouth.
Trying to recapture the Super Bowl appearance of the 1998 season seemed insurmountable. The Falcons would lose to John Elway and the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII by a score of 34-19 after finishing the season 14-2. Then, in the next two seasons, Atlanta would win only nine games combined. It was time for a change.
Falcons quarterback Chris Chandler was losing velocity and strength, turning the ball over, and it was time for the Falcons to bring in a fresh, new/young face of the franchise type of quarterback. It just so happened that a guy down at Virginia Tech was setting the college football world ablaze.
By the time the 2001 NFL Draft arrived, Atlanta would select Michael Vick with the number one pick in the first round of the draft. Some fans were delighted, while others wanted to see Atlanta select LaDainian Tomlinson. Sticking with Chris Chandler in his 13th season to mentor Vick, Atlanta would have to get the ball in Vick's hands at some point.
Vick would complete 50 passes while throwing for 2 touchdowns and also rush for one. By 2002, the job would become Vicks' full-time position. From there, Vick would leave fans in awe with his left-handed cannon of an arm and his ability to shed defenders, making the most athletic plays that had not been seen in some time. Vick would also go into Lambeau Field and come out victorious in the playoffs by beating Brett Favre.
After a couple of good years and a playoff appearance, during the 2006 season, the team itself wasn't necessarily lighting the world on fire, but Vick was. Rushing for over 1,000 yards and throwing for almost 2,500 yards with 20 touchdowns, the future looked promising. Then, the rug would be pulled out from under the Falcons.
On June 29, 2002, Vick purchased a property and established it as "Bad Newz Kennels", a place where dogs would be put through "testing" sessions to determine if they were good fighters. Dogs were put down in 2002 if they didn't perform well, but at the time, Vick wasn't responsible for any deaths.
In April of 2007, Vick and others would conduct additional "testing" in which 6 to 8 dogs that didn't perform well were put to death by drowning or hanging. Vick would admit that the dogs died as part of a "collective effort" of all involved. Later in April, as part of an ongoing investigation, Vick's home would be raided, and officials would find neglected pit bulls and evidence of fighting.
A couple of days later, while attending the NFL draft in New York, Vick allegedly told commissioner Roger Goodell that his friends and family members were responsible for the dogfighting. As July rolled around, investigators were building a strong case against Vick.
Later in July, Vick and others were charged by a federal grand jury in Richmond, Va., with conspiring to engage in competitive dogfighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting, and conducting the enterprise across state lines.
On Aug. 20th, 2007, Vick's lawyer stated that the NFL star had discussed the matter with his family and decided to plead guilty.
During the 2007 Atlanta Falcons season, morale had bottomed out, with Joey Harrington leading the charge at quarterback, Atlanta would go 4-12 on the year. In 2008, the Atlanta Falcons drafted Matt Ryan, and you know how the rest of the story unfolds.
Michael Vick has since turned his life around after being sentenced to 23 months in prison. He realizes that his legacy was tarnished and prison was his lowest point, but it turned his life around for the better. Some fans will never forgive Vick for what he has done, but while playing and healthy, Vick would have been a sure-fire Hall of Famer within the Falcons organization and the NFL.
You can look at the big picture and say that if Vick hadn't made a mistake, Atlanta would never have drafted Matt Ryan. Matt Ryan did not win a Super Bowl. Sure, he took the team to the promised land, but if Vick were still at the helm, would you be looking at a Super Bowl win? Or another collapse in the 4th quarter?
One cannot simply live in the past, but you would be hard pressed to believe that Vick would not have brought a Super Bowl win to Atlanta, or a couple more appearances.
Related: Falcons QB Kirk Cousins Spotted In Cleveland Sparking Rumors Of A Trade
Related: Falcons Sign Former Georgia Bulldog On A One-Year Deal
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This story was originally published March 29, 2025 at 12:44 PM.
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