Eagles not cutting Michael Vick, not yet anyway

The Philadelphia Eagles are not going to release Michael Vick any time soon.

Whether or not that means the quarterback sticks with the organization and new coach Chip Kelly remains to be seen. But a provision in Vick’s contract is going to lead to the Eagles hanging on to him for now, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Vick will be guaranteed $3 million today but a clause in the contract allows the Eagles to keep him until free agency kicks off on March 12 without having to pay him that guarantee unless he finds no employer in the league this season. The offset in the deal allows the Eagles to skip paying the $3 million provided Vick makes at least $3 million elsewhere in the NFL this season.

Vick is due a total of $15.5 million this season and it is unlikely he will get that from the Eagles. A renegotiation is a possibility but it takes two to get that kind of deal done. The Eagles could look to trade Vick but that won’t be accomplished without a restructuring. So, stay tuned to what happens for the quarterback.

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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune