Will Vick Reach 3rd Year of Contract?

The big news in the NFL over the past week was Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints agreeing to a massive 5 year, $100 million dollar deal.

On ProFootballTalk.com today they took a look at the contract, and compared it to the one Michael Vick signed with the Eagles just 1 year ago. Vick's deal was also a $100 million dollar deal, but covered 6 years instead of 5.

Here was how the contracts differed:

Even if Vick were to earn every penny, his average is $16.67 million. Brees’ deal averages $20 million annually.

With the last year at $20 million voiding if he takes at least 35 percent of the snaps in any given season, it’s already a five-year, $80 million contract — maximum, dropping the average to $16 million.

Also, Vick made $20 million in 2011. Brees will make $40 million in 2012.

It's not surprising to see Brees cash in the way he did- he is a Super Bowl MVP and without question one of the top quarterbacks in the game. Still, the $60 million that is reportedly guaranteed was shocking to some, and again highlights that in the NFL it is all about getting as much money upfront as possible.

Which brings us to Vick's deal, and how much of it he will actually see.

While we all know that Vick's deal was never really a $100 million dollar deal, it's easy to forget how high the entire NFL was on Vick last year. He was coming off of a MVP caliber season, and ended the year being in the same conversation as a Drew Brees. Going into last year, locking Vick up long term seemed the logical decision.

It's a good thing Vick signed the deal when he did- he likely would not have seen such big money on the open market after his performance last year.

In order to reach the 3rd year of the contract, Vick is going to have to improve upon last season. The chances of the Eagles cutting Vick next year are not great, but also not impossible.

Vick is on the books for nearly $18 million next year, and with the public perception being that Andy Reid is coaching for his job, Vick could be gone if Reid is as well. If the Eagles move in a different direction at head coach, it's not a stretch to say that they might want to completely blow it up and move on from Vick as well.

Also keep in mind that if the Vick struggles this year and can't stay on the field, the team will likely have a high draft pick. With the possibility of a new head coach at the helm, the chances of them going after a quarterback are high as well.

As of right now, Vick has made (According to EaglesCap.com) roughly $28.3 million. If he were to be cut next year, he would collect another $3 million, meaning he would end up getting less than a third ($31.3 million/$100). That is also roughly half of what Brees has (reportedly) already made just by signing the dotted line.

Follow Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks