Report: Vick will Hear from Goodell by Saturday

According to ESPN’s Sal Palantonio, Roger Goodell is expected to make a decision on Michael Vick’s future within the next few days, and before Saturday, when teams face a mandatory cut-down to 53 players on their active rosters. Vick was reinstated earlier this summer on a conditional basis; full reinstatement is pending, and technically, Goodell has until Week 6 of the season to make a decision on whether to allow Vick to participate in the regular season.

From ESPN and Palantonio:

Goodell has wide latitude to make a ruling up to Week 6, and he can force Vick to sit out any number of games this season. But it is widely believed that he will allow Vick to return to full-time duty by Week 3, when the Eagles host the Kansas City Chiefs, according to those close to Vick and the Eagles.

Goodell and Vick will be meeting “soon,” according to a league source. Before Goodell makes his ruling, he wants to hear from Vick personally on his progress. Goodell said on Tuesday he has been talking to Vick on a weekly basis. “A lot of those issues I’m focusing on are off the field,” Goodell said. “How is he dealing with the transition? ... Does he have the right people around him helping him make decisions?”

Should Vick come back earlier than expected, that would likely prompt the Eagles to place him on their active 53-man roster. If he faces a longer suspension, they may place Vick on their “roster exempt list” which would prohibit him from practicing with the team. And “practicing,” despite Allen Iverson’s strident rhetoric, is critical to Vick’s progress within the complex Philadelphia offense.

So while Mike Vick’s not in danger of getting cut on Saturday, Goodell’s decision could have significant bearing on the trajectory of his season--and by extension, Philadelphia’s.