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Vick nearing deal with football team

Former Falcon was 1st NFL quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards in a season

Last Updated: Thursday, July 30, 2009 | 5:44 PM ET

CBC Sports

Quarterback Michael Vick has never thrown for more than 3,000 yards or 20 touchdowns in any NFL season. (Marc Serota/Getty Images)

Free to play football again, Michael Vick says he is nearing an agreement with a team.

But the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback, reinstated by National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell earlier this week, didn't specify if his imminent return was to the NFL.

This much is clear: He won't be joining the Washington Redskins, whose head coach Jim Zorn ruled out signing Vick "at this juncture" when asked about the player on Wednesday.

Each of the Canadian Football League's eight teams contacted by CBCSports.ca on Thursday declined having any interest in Vick, who discussed his immediate future with reporters following a bankruptcy hearing in Virginia.

Vick needs to find a team so he can get himself out of financial ruin. He filed for bankruptcy protection last July, listing assets of about $16 million US and debts of more than $20 million.

More than a dozen other NFL teams have said publicly they won't pursue Vick, including the New York Giants, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins.

Vick, who spent 20 months in federal custody for financing a dogfighting operation, was released on July 20.

The first NFL quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, he has never thrown for more than 3,000 yards or 20 touchdowns in any season.

Vick, 29, can immediately participate in pre-season practices, workouts and meetings, and can play in the final two pre-season games.

Once the season begins, he may participate in all team activities except games, and Goodell said he would consider Vick for full reinstatement by Week 6 (Oct. 18-19).

In August 2007, Vick was suspended by the league after he admitted bankrolling the "Bad Newz Kennels" dogfighting operation. At the time, Goodell said the player must show remorse for his actions and signs he has changed before he would consider reinstating Vick.

Vick, who is under a three-year suspended sentence for a state dogfighting conviction, will remain on supervised probation for three years.

With files from The Associated Press

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