Vick football future in doubt after dog-fighting plea

By Larry Fine

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick may never play in the National Football League again after agreeing on Monday to plead guilty in a dog-fighting case.

Vick, 27, faces up to five years jail if convicted on the initial charges related to the dog-fighting ring he was accused of operating at his Virginia property.

"Michael Vick typically does his best work when it appears he has nowhere to go," wrote Dan Pompei in Tuesday's Chicago Tribune.

"But the Atlanta Falcons' embattled quarterback is not going to scramble out of this one. He can't juke to his right to find a lane, or sprint to his left and outrun his pursuers.

"Throwing up a prayer isn't even an option -- though saying one is."

Beyond any jail time Vick may serve, the strong-armed, fleet-footed Atlanta Falcons quarterback is likely to face further punishment from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who has cracked down on players in trouble with the law.

Vick told Goodell in a face-to-face meeting in the spring he had nothing to do with the dog-fighting allegations, which included gambling and executions of dogs that underperformed.

His decision to plead guilty came after his three co-defendants made their own plea deals with the understanding they would testify against the quarterback.