Falcons fans are a unique bunch.
Despite Matt Ryan leading the franchise to success for more than a decade, including a magical Super Bowl run, there’s still a facet of the fan base that believes Michael Vick is still the greatest quarterback in the team’s history.
Matt Ryan is objectively the better signal caller, but you could never convince some Falcons fans that Mike Vick isn’t the GOAT. Hell, he was my favorite player as a kid and was the reason I became a Falcons fan in the first place.
The Michael Vick Experience is still one of the most exciting things this league has seen. I get it. Falcons fans aren’t alone in their delusion. Johnny Manziel’s GOAT is none other than Mike Vick, not Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Patrick Mahomes, etc.
“The GOAT, in my eyes, is still–I have a different opinion. I love Michael Vick,” Manziel said onFanDuel TV’s Run It Back. “That was just the running style. Mahomes is well on his way, but you gotta win six or seven Super Bowls to beat Brady.”
Vick paved the way for Johnny Manziel, Cam Newton, Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels, and every other quarterback who plays some version of backyard football at the collegiate and NFL level.
The former No. 1 overall pick was the first quarterback to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a single season, which he did in 2006. In today’s game, Vick would’ve been viewed much differently than he did nearly two decades ago. The Ravens have done a perfect job surrounding Lamar Jackson with a system to accentuate his skill set; I’d kill to see Vick in a similar situation.
Mike Vick will always be my NFL favorite player, and Manziel is damn close to being one of the most exciting college players of all time. The Texas A&M product ran for 1,410 yards and 21 touchdowns while throwing for 3,706 and 26 more scores in 2012 en route to a Heisman Trophy and superstardom. I will always cherish that time in college football because of Manziel.
It’s a subjective question, “Who is the greatest of all time?”
For some people, it’s not championships or even stats but rather a specific place in their fandom where a particular player impacted them. Falcons’ great Mike Vick had that kind of effect.
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Photographer: Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire
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