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The Pittsburgh Steelers signed Michael Vick on Tuesday to replace injured quarterback Bruce Gradkowski. Gradkowski underwent surgery on a dislocated finger on his left hand and is expected to be out for at least four to six weeks. He was placed on the Reserve/Injured List. Landry Jones is the only other back up quarterback on the roster.
The Steelers want an experienced quarterback on their roster to back up Ben Roethlisberger. This will be Jones’ third season with the Steelers, but he has only been in one game in 2013 and he does not have a single NFL passing attempt. The Steelers had a “ready list” in case of injuries, and their list of quarterbacks included Chandler Harnish, Curtis Painter, Jason Campbell, and Tyler Thigpen. And then there was Vick.
Vick is head and shoulders above the others on that list. The question is, is this a good move for the Steelers? Many say it is not. The overwhelming fan response has been negative, mostly because of Vick’s background in dog fighting. He spent 19 months in prison and served an indefinite suspension from the NFL that ended up lasting 23 months. Still, many fans feel that he still does not belong in the NFL.
We have signed veteran QB Michael Vick & placed QB Bruce Gradkowski on the Reserve/Injured List. TRANSACTIONS: http://t.co/XWbG1mWR4s
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 25, 2015
@steelers I’m GONE FOREVER.. Bye — ⚾️Debbie Devigne (@babypenguin8771) August 25, 2015
Hey @steelers Vick??!! Really?
— Jeremy (@FunkiColeMedina) August 25, 2015
@steelers the dog killer really? Disgusting. Never would have thought this franchise would go here. — Jason Skovbo (@skoobysnacked) August 25, 2015
This will be Vick’s 13th season and he has some impressive career numbers. However, in the last three seasons, he has started 19 games and his teams were 6-13 in those games. His QBR in those years were 45.81, 58.75, and 22.17. His touchdown percentage is down to 3.2 during those years. By comparison, Roethlisberger’s is 5.2 over the last three years and 5.1 over his 11 year career. Vick is a 35-year-old quarterback that does not have much left in the tank.
Vick is also known as a running quarterback, but at age 35, it is doubtful that he will be doing much of that. Over the last three seasons, he has been averaging a fumble every 6.2 carries. This could be an issue in the hard hitting AFC North.
The Steelers were desperate for a quarterback, but is the Vick signing a good one for them? Vick is arguably the best quarterback available right now, but there will be more available in the next week or two as the rest of the teams start making their cuts. The Steelers probably should have waited and had Jones as their primary backup for the rest of the preseason.