Michael Vick has left federal prison in Leavenworth, Kan., to complete his 23-month sentence in home confinement in Virginia.
According to multiple reports, Vick left the prison early this morning without speaking to reporters.
He is to travel to Hampton, Va., for his home confinement for the final two months of his sentence for his role in a dogfighting operation in Virginia.
Vick is to work a construction job while he awaits word from the NFL about whether he will be reinstated for the upcoming season. He remains on indefinite suspension by the league, pending a decision by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about his playing status.
Goodell reiterated Tuesday at a meeting of the NFL’s franchise owners in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., that he won’t address the matter until the legal process is completed. Goodell has said that Vick would have to demonstrate genuine remorse to be reinstated.
“Michael is going to have to demonstrate to myself and to the general public and to a lot of people: Did he learn anything from this experience? Does he regret what happened? Does he feel that he can be a positive influence going forward?” Goodell said Tuesday. “Those are the questions that I would like to see [answered] when I sit with him.”
Goodell indicated that he would accept input from others about the situation. Former NFL coach Tony Dungy recently met with Vick in prison. Goodell said Tuesday that he’d traded phone messages with Dungy but hadn’t spoken to the retired coach about his meeting with Vick.
“I haven’t sat down and determined the process [but] I’ve never been one to shy away from input and facts that can be helpful in making an ultimate judgment,” Goodell said. “It’s always difficult to make judgments about people and where they are. If others can provide some helpful information, I welcome it.”
Vick, once among the NFL’s most dynamic players, remains under contract to the Atlanta Falcons but the team’s owner, Arthur Blank, has indicated that it doesn’t want Vick back. The club reached the playoffs last season with a standout rookie, Matt Ryan, playing Vick’s old position at quarterback.
