ATLANTA, Georgia, 25 December 2004 — Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick has agreed to a 10-year contract extension worth a reported $ 100 million, the richest deal in National Football League history.
The contract includes a record-shattering $ 37 million in guaranteed signing bonus money, ESPN and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
“Michael is arguably the NFL’s most exciting player,” Falcons owner Arthur Blank said. “He’s a tremendous competitor, a winner and an outstanding young man who is well deserving of this extension.”
Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning is American football’s highest-paid player, making $ 14 million a year after signing a seven-year deal worth $ 98 million with a signing bonus of $ 34 million last March.
The six-year deal worth $ 62 million that Vick signed in 2001 would have allowed him to avoid the next two seasons in January and become a free agent in March.
“At a relatively early stage in his career, Michael has established himself as one of the best players at his position and that’s very hard to do,” Falcons general manager Rich McKay said.
“When you have an exceptional guy who plays the pivot position, known in football as the quarterback, you’re going to have a chance to be very successful year in and year out.” Vick has sparked the Falcons to an 11-3 record this season and the NFC South title, their first division crown since 1998.
Known for his flashy run threat as well as solid passing performances, Vick has thrown for 2,278 yards and 13 touchdowns with 12 interceptions and run for a career-high 889 yards and three touchdowns this season.
Vick, 24, is only 79 yards shy of matching the NFL record of 968 rushing yards by a quarterback in a single season, set by Chicago’s Bobby Douglass in 1972. Vick, who is suffering with a sprained shoulder, already owns the NFL record for most rushing yards in a game by a quarterback, 173, and most rushing yards by a quarterback in his first two seasons, 1,006. The 2001 top draft pick has a career record of 24-12 with one drawn, with a 14-4 run since recovering from a broken ankle last year after missing 11 games.
