Atlanta Falcons: Should They Honor Michael Vick?

The Atlanta Falcons have announced that Michael Vick and Roddy White will be honored together in a retirement ceremony this season. The news has been met with varying reactions but there is one clear reaction fans should be having.

When the Atlanta Falcons announced that they would have a special retirement ceremony for Roddy White and Michael Vick the fanbase reacted some excited for another reunion and some unforgiving. Roddy White’s retirement will be met with nothing but support considering what he brought to the team for many years.

He was the team’s top option and go-to receiver even throughout Julio Jones’ early time in the League. White was a fiery player that the Falcons could always count on when they needed to the most.

Michael Vick will be retired alongside White and will be met with varying responses with plenty of boos thought to be mixed in. The fan base seems to be split over Vick and how they should react to the former Falcon’s signal caller. The answer is quite simply that they should focus on what Vick did on the football field not the mistakes he made off of it.

Matt Ryan is fresh off of an MVP season and Super Bowl appearance the Falcons have found another franchise quarterback for a number of years now it is time to forgive Vick for the mistakes he made. When he was the Falcon’s quarterback the skill set he brought was comparable to Cam Newton with better speed and a bit more accuracy in his prime. Vick was on track to be a sure Hall-of-Fame player and all-time Falcon’s great before he was jailed for dog fighting.

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Michael Vick made a mistake that many Falcons fans feel hurt the franchise’s legacy and while their is some truth to that Vick has atoned for his mistakes both in the judgment fans have passed and paying within our justice system.

Vick has paid for his mistakes, he will never be remembered the same in the NFL because of his decision. He will continue to pay for the bad decisions that he has made, Falcons fans need to remember that and find a way to remember Vick for the good quarterback that he was. The judgement that has been passed on Vick has gone far enough it is time to let it go and honor what he did bring to the Falcons on the football field.