Michael Vick sat in free agency for the majority of the offseason looking for a deal to join a team for the 2015 season, and his patience finally paid off. The Pittsburgh Steelers signed Vick on Tuesday afternoon to be the primary backup to Ben Roethlisberger.
Steelers announced they signed QB Michael Vick and placed QB Bruce Gradkowski on the Reserve/Injured List.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 25, 2015
When Michael Vick was released from prison in 2009, Mike Tomlin was interested in bringing him to Pitt. Six years later, Vick's a Steeler.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 25, 2015
While it may seem like a small move on the outside looking in, this was a huge signing and an excellent and smart decision by the Steelers.
Roethlisberger has had quite a few nagging injuries throughout his career, and some of them have forced him to miss some time. He’s never missed a huge amount of time, but he couldn’t afford to either. There have been some games where he was obviously hobbled, and probably should have been resting for a week.
Pittsburgh will now have the option to sit him down for a game if needed, and Vick brings the veteran experience and playmaking ability that they were searching for in their primary backup. He has the speed to make plays with his legs while still having a good enough arm to make some plays with the weapons that the Steelers have.
Another reason this signing was made is that Vick brings a lot of veteran experience to the table. He can help from the sidelines just as much as he can help on-the-field if needed. His wisdom and understanding of the game will be used like a coach in a uniform, which is extremely important for every single team to have.
It will be interesting to see if Vick gets a chance to play this season. Head coach Mike Tomlin has had interest in Vick for quite some time, and he will not hesitate to put him out on the field in games that are fairly well out of reach either way.
That being said, the Steelers haven’t had a backup quarterback with the talent that Vick brings in a long time. Having quality veteran depth behind the starters is extremely valuable, which is why this move was made in the first place. Pittsburgh is expected to be one of the better teams in the AFC this season if they live up to their potential, and an injury to Roethlisberger will no longer sink their playoff chances.
Expect to see Vick get some time on-the-field at some point this season. Tomlin and the coaching staff will try to get Roethlisberger as much rest as possible, which will pay off in a big way later on in the season and playoffs.
Signing Vick may not be a very popular move with some of the fans that have been showing him hate on social media, but it is an excellent football decision. Fans need to realize that the mistakes he made in the past need to be forgiven, and that he has served his time and learned from those mistakes. Hopefully the reaction from the fan base will turn much more positive, and he will feel welcomed in Pittsburgh over the next couple weeks.