It appears that the career of NFL superstar Michael Vick has come to an abrupt halt. The Atlanta Falcons quarterback accepted a deal to plead guilty to federal conspiracy charges regarding an illegal dog-fighting operation on Monday.

In a written statement, Vick’s attorney Billy Martin said, “After consulting with his family over the weekend, Michael Vick asks that I announce today that he has reached an agreement with federal prosecutors regarding the charges pending against him.”

Vick will appear in federal court Aug. 27 in Richmond, VA, where the charges were brought, to enter the plea, Martin said. In exchange, Vick will avoid more serious charges that would have been decided by a grand jury that was scheduled to convene on Monday.

“Michael wishes to apologize again to everyone who has been hurt by this matter,” Martin said.

Vick faces up to years in prison and a $250,000 fine, although federal sentencing guidelines would most likely call for less. According to one government official who spoke to the Associated Press under the condition of anonymity, prosecutors will recommend that Vick be sentenced to between a year and 18 months in prison, under the plea agreement.

U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson will ultimately have the final say on Vick’s sentence.

As for his career with the NFL, it is uncertain if Vick will ever be allowed to return to the league. After his indictment last month, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell ordered Vick not to report to training camp until the league completed its own investigation of the case.

A spokesman from the NFL said in a statement that the league “is aware” of the plea agreement and is currently what, if any, sanctions should be imposed on the 27 year old player.

“We totally condemn the conduct outlined in the charges, which is inconsistent with what Michael Vick previously told both our office and the Falcons,” said the spokesman. “We will conclude our own review under the league’s personal conduct policy as soon as possible. In the meantime, we have asked the Falcons to refrain from taking action pending on a decision by the commissioner.”

The Falcons have posted a response on their website saying that the team was “troubled” by the recent news.

Vick’s three co-defendants in the case had already accepted deals to plead guilty in exchange for lesser sentences. Court documents released last week revealed that two of his alleged partners said that Vick helped execute dogs that didn’t perform well and that the three men had killed approximately eight dogs using methods such as drowning and hanging.

The dogs were killed because they had not fought well in “testing” sessions that took place in April on Vick’s property in Surry, VA, where the operation was based according to documents released after guilty pleas from co-defendants Purnell Peace, 35 of Virginia Beach, and Quanis Phillips, 28, of Atlanta.

A third man, 34 year old Tony Taylor of Hampton, VA, plead guilty on July 30.

According to court documents, Peace and Phillips said the money behind the dog-fighting operation, known as “Bad Newz Kennels,” came “almost exclusively,” from Vick. They also told prosecutors that the other accusations in the 18-page indictment are true…

I live just a stone’s throw from Newport News, Va, where Michael Vick grew up, on the other side of the James River.

It is mind-bending to think that someone who has come so far with such an amazing talent would throw it away over something like this. In 2004, Vick signed a $130 million contract with the Falcons.

He was the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards last season. He was a quarterback who could maneuver better than most running backs.

Now, his lucrative deal with Nike has been suspended and Reebok has stopped sales of his No. 7 jersey. For what?

How much money could he have made fighting dogs? $20,000 a fight? Say $100,000; it’s all chump change when you’re one of the most highly paid athletes in sports history.

It’s seems like such a waste of talent and opportunity that most young kids growing up in Newport News can only dream of.

I can’t say I feel sorry for Vick; I don’t. I’m completely disgusted by anyone who would murder a defenseless animal. But I do feel sorry for all his fans, the kids who looked up to him and dreamed of stardom.

Their role-model has been exposed. Their idol has fallen.

…Such a waste…

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