Michael Vick, the former star Atlanta Falcons quarterback whose public image came crashing down when he was arrested in 2007 for being "the key figure" in a dog fighting ring, is back in the NFL.
Now, the big question is which team -- if any -- will tiptoe through the public-relations minefield by making him an offer.
Vick, who was suspended indefinitely by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in August 2007, is only partially reinstated. Under the agreement, he can start practice right away, but can't play in any games. Goodell said he'll consider full reinstatement by week six, according to USA Today.
When Goodell suspended Vick two years ago, he said he'd consider rescinding the suspension only if Vick showed true remorse and intended "to be a positive role model for others."
Vick, once the league's highest-paid player, just finished an 18-month sentence for the crime, and today issued a statement through his agent expressing gratitude.
"As you can imagine, the last two years have given me time to revaluate my life, mature as an individual and fully understand the terrible mistakes I have made in the past and what type of life I must lead moving forward," he said.
Vick, 29, was born to teenage parents in the slums of Newport News, Virginia. Though his parents married when he was 5, he decided to continue to use the surname of his mother, Brenda Vick.
In July of 2007, Vick and some friends were arrested for operating a six-year-old dogfighting ring from Vick's 15-acre property in Virginia. Known as "Bad Newz Kennels," the games involved torture, abuse and execution of animals, as well as gambling.
