If Michael Vick remains suspended from the National Football League for the 2009 season (which seems like a possibility even in light of recent news) then his options will be very few. The public relations heat from signing Vick may be too intense for Roger Goodell and any NFL team that elects to take a chance on the felon convicted for operating a dog fighting ring. It has been rumored that Goodell may consider allowing Vick to attend NFL training camp but will decide whether or not to reinstate Vick at a later date. I have to imagine that bad public relations and a few PETA protestors in the parking lot would have an influence on Goodell’s final decision.

Various reports indicate Vick has filed for bankruptcy due to several millions of dollars in debt, and he was recently working in construction due to lack of cash flow. Even UFL critics have to admit that a starting quarterback position in the UFL is more glamorous and less hazardous than a job in construction. Vick has not played professional football since the close of the 2006 NFL season, and the longer he stays dormant the less marketable he will be to NFL teams down the road. The United Football League is likely Vick’s best option and would provide him with an opportunity to stay fresh by competing with other free agents like J.P. Losman and Tim Rattay. The opportunity will allow Vick to prove his value and stay on the radar of NFL teams shopping for quarterbacks in 2010.

Any negative publicity as a result of the UFL signing Vick will probably be diminished by the revenue that Vick would bring to the table. The league is seeking ticket sales and ratings on the Versus network, and Vick will give that to them. Many fans will still tune in to the Versus network to watch Vick’s athletic talents on the football field (if not just out of morbid curiosity). In addition, the public is likely to be far more forgiving of an upstart professional football league that is attempting to draw in the best talent available than they would of a corporate giant like the NFL for signing Vick. A relationship between the UFL and Michael Vick will prove to be a much needed rebound for Vick and a crucial resource for the UFL.

Vick’s crimes were monstrous, and it would be difficult to argue that he does not deserve to serve a continued NFL suspension. But, he has served his sentence (even when so many other celebrities seem to be able to avoid jail time) and giving Vick a pay cut to play in an alternative professional football league does not seem unreasonable. In many ways, Vick suiting up for the UFL in October would produce the best result for all concerned parties.