Vick owes team about $20M

Michael Vick has taken another hit - and this one could cost him nearly $20 million.

Already facing prison time, the disgraced quarterback lost the first round in his financial battle with the Atlanta Falcons when an arbitrator ruled yesterday that Vick should repay much of the bonus money he got while secretly bankrolling a dogfighting ring.

The case is far from over. The players union said it would appeal the ruling by Stephen B. Burbank, a University of Pennsylvania law professor and special master who oversaw last week's arbitration hearing in Philadelphia.

The Falcons argued that Vick, who pleaded guilty to federal charges for his role in the long-running operation, knew he was in violation of the contract when he signed a 10-year, $130 million deal in December 2004.

The team said he used proceeds from the contract to fund his illicit activities and sought the repayment of $19,970,000 in bonuses he was paid over the past three years.

Any money the Falcons recover from Vick would be credited to its future salary cap, a huge step in recovering from the loss of the team's franchise player. Atlanta (1-4) is off to a dismal start with Joey Harrington at quarterback and announced yesterday that offensive tackle Wayne Gandy would miss the rest of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

"We are certainly pleased with today's ruling," the Falcons said in a statement. "It is the first step in a process that our club has undertaken in an attempt to recoup significant salary cap space that will allow us to continue to build our football team today and in future years."

In a highly technical, nine-page ruling, Burbank said the Falcons were entitled to $3.75 million of the $7.5 million bonus that Vick was paid after signing the deal in 2004, $13.5 million of the $22.5 million in roster, reporting and playing bonuses he was paid in 2005 and 2006, and $2.72 million of the $7 million roster, reporting and playing bonuses that he received this year.

"We have reviewed the decision handed down by special master Stephen Burbank and believe it is incorrect," the NFL Players Association said in a statement. "We will now appeal his ruling."

• Cardinals // An already difficult second NFL season came to an end for quarterback Matt Leinart when he was placed on injured reserve with a broken collarbone. Kurt Warner, who had shared duties with Leinart, moves into the starting job. The team signed Tim Rattay yesterday to back up Warner, 36. Leinart, a left-hander, fractured his left collarbone when he was sacked by the Rams' Will Witherspoon on Sunday. "We didn't want to rush him back," first-year coach Ken Whisenhunt said.

• Bengals // The NFL has suspended starting cornerback Johnathan Joseph for Sunday's game at Kansas City, Cincinnati said. Joseph will forfeit his salary for this game and the Jets game Oct. 21, the club said. He was suspended for violating the league's substance abuse policy. The second-year pro was arrested in northern Kentucky on Jan. 22 after a Boone County sheriff's deputy stopped a vehicle he was a passenger in and found marijuana in his backpack, a police report said.

• Buccaneers // Chris Simms' season will end without him taking a snap in a game. Tampa Bay plans to place the backup quarterback on injured reserve today, creating room on the roster to bring in a replacement for injured running backs Carnell "Cadillac" Williams and Michael Pittman.

• Packers // Linebacker Nick Barnett was charged yesterday with two counts of disorderly conduct stemming from an altercation with two women in a bar this summer. "We will enter not-guilty pleas to the two charges and will defend these charges aggressively," lawyer Avi Berk said. The two misdemeanor charges carry a maximum combined penalty of six months in jail and a $2,000 fine.

• Chiefs // Quarterback Damon Huard's magnetic resonance imaging showed no damage to his injured shoulder, and the veteran might be ready to start Sunday against Cincinnati, coach Herm Edwards said.

Related topic galleries: Contracts, Punishment, Tim Rattay, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Trials, National Football League, Damon Huard

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