Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick is no longer the favorite to be the starter in the fall. Instead, the job is up for grabs and he’ll have to battle with Nick Foles for the spot. In addition to the fight for a roster spot, he will also have to deal with his reputation as a player that struggles to stay healthy.
The former Atlanta Falcon said Tuesday he’s been working hard to change that perception, according to NFL.com.
"I've been doing a lot of curls, a lot of bench press this offseason," Vick said at Eagles training camp on Tuesday. "Just trying to put my body in the best position possible to withstand the hits. Everybody says I'm injury prone, so I'm trying to fight that.”
"But it's cool, man. That's why we compete. That's why we work out. That's why we train hard ... to come out and do the things we know how to do, and that's play good football. But you have to stay on the field to do so. So that's why I've been working out.”
Vick did not have his best year with the Eagles last season. He had a passer rating of 78.1 with a 2,362 passing yards and 12 touchdowns. In addition, he only played 10 games.
Vick suffered a concussion in 2012 which caused him to miss the last six games of the season.
In those last six games Foles replaced Vick and, in the short sample, put up numbers slightly comparable to the stats Vick produced. Foles had a 79.1 passer rating with six touchdowns and 1,699 passing yards.
Vick also mention—or rather boasted—about the good weight he’s put on.
"Four pounds, four pounds of pure muscle," he said, "So, it's a credit to myself."
*Stats according to ESPN.com
