Michael Vick joins the Kansas City Chiefs as coaching intern

Through a great new NFL program that provides teams with funds for encouraging diversity in coaching, Michael Vick has joined the Chiefs as a coaching intern.

Michael Vick has made his wish come true.

Earlier this offseason, we took a closer look at Michael Vick’s post-career interests because the former quarterback stated that he wanted to become a coach and specifically pointed to Andy Reid as his hopeful mentor. As a guest on the Howard Eskin Show in Philly, Vick said the following this spring:

"if I could coach with anybody, I would love to start out with Andy if there was an opportunity. Obviously, I would love it with the Falcons as well. So we’ll see how it goes."

Then today came the official sighting: Vick hanging out with the Chiefs as they opened training camp.

Pete Sweeney immediately noted on Twitter that Vick’s hiring is part of an ongoing NFL program to encourage more diversity in NFL coaching ranks. The Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship provides monies for former players like Vick to participate and learn alongside a team’s coaching staff throughout an entire preseason.

Just like 90 players are trying out for the Kansas City Chiefs, hoping to be one of the final 53 who make the team, Vick himself could be considered doing the same. It’s uncertain whether or not Clark Hunt will pony up the funds to add Vick as an official assistant coach, but for now, Reid and the rest of his staff can allow Vick a voice into the process as he observes, records and details his own insights about the team and individual performances. At the end of the preseason, they might have a tough call to make as to whether or not to let Vick walk.

If nothing else, it’s a toe in the water, so to speak, for Vick and the coaching career he mentioned such interest in. His experience in applying Reid’s teaching as a player and his added perspective can only help when tutoring a young player like Patrick Mahomes.