FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. _ The Falcons (10-5) are set to play the Saints (7-8) on Sunday, and the team has invited several players to take part in a ceremony.
The team acknowledged that there will be a ceremony, but does not plan to release a list of the invited players, which very likely includes former quarterback Michael Vick, who played for the Falcons from 2001-06.
Vick, who was selected No. 1 overall in the 2001 draft, electrified the fan base, energized the team and sold out the Georgia Dome.
Vick fell out of favor with the franchise after he pleaded guilty in a federal dogfighting investigation in August 2007. He was suspended from the NFL for a violation of the league's personal-conduct policy.
He served 21 months in prison and two months in home confinement.
Vick was a three-time Pro Bowler with the Falcons and helped guide them to the NFC Championship game after the 2004 regular season. Before falling out of grace, he also guided the Falcons to a historic playoff victory on the road over the Green Bay Packers after the 2002 season.
"I want to go back to Atlanta and retire as a Falcon," Vick recently told Marc James on the Jim Rome Show on CBS Sports Radio.
It's been 10 years since the investigation that rocked the franchise.
After serving time, Vick, with the help of former NFL coach Tony Dungy and others, has rehabilitated himself and went on to play for Philadelphia (2009-13), the New York Jets (2014) and Pittsburgh (2015). He's been out of football this season.
