The breakup between the Philadelphia Eagles and quarterback Michael Vick is coming this offseason. The relationship already is starting to fray at the seams.
Ed Werder of ESPN reported Friday that Vick "questions" if his concussion really is the reason he's not playing at the moment. Vick believes he's the "victim of politics," according to Werder.
Eagles trainer Rick Burkholder spoke Friday, saying Vick has plateaued in his concussion tests. Vick could be sent to concussion specialists in Pittsburgh if he doesn't pass the test, which he's expected to take again Monday.
"There is no conspiracy here," Burkholder said, via The Associated Press. "We do not grade the ImPACT test, which he has not gotten back to baseline. ... That is an NFL rule. That has nothing to do with anything with us. He has to pass that before we can ever entertain the fact of him playing."
Burkholder added that Vick's eye movement and his balance are issues.
A report emerged Thursday that Vick could miss the rest of the season. That was countered by ESPN's report. Yahoo! Sports also reported that Vick was improving.
Burkholder hopes Vick can pass his concussion test Monday and be cleared for next week's game. Vick won't face the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. Neither will running back LeSean McCoy, who's also recovering from a concussion.
It's not difficult to try to connect the dots here. It'd come as little surprise if Vick's agents are showing their displeasure with how the Eagles are handling the situation by leaking these reports to ESPN and Yahoo! Sports.
The issue will come to a head if and when Vick is able to pass his concussion test. Ultimately, Vick's agents would be best served by playing the "good soldier" role. Vick almost certainly won't be back in Philadelphia at his present salary. He'll be looking for a new job, and it won't reflect well if he's seen as causing problems for the organization that took a chance on him when no one else would.
UPDATE: Vick later released a statement on the matter, via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer:
"I want to thank my fans for the thousands of well wishes. I also appreciate the support of the entire Eagles organization. I feel strong and healthy. As a professional athlete, I want to play in every game, but the NFL has a specific protocol to protect players. My focus is to complete this process successfully, so I can rejoin my team on the field."
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
