Quarterback's Water Bottle Comes Back Clean

Atlanta Falcons star Michael Vick will not be charged with wrongdoing after tests by a Miami police lab indicated that a substance in a water bottle he tried to get through airport security last week was not illegal, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

Vick will be cleared by the Miami-Dade Police Department in an announcement that could come today, the person said. Attempts to reach Miami police for comment Sunday evening were unsuccessful.

Messages left with Falcons' president and general manager Rich McKay and Vick's agent, Joel Segal, were not returned Sunday evening.

ESPN reported Sunday night on its Web site that Vick would be "exonerated" in the incident, citing anonymous NFL sources.

The water bottle Vick tried to carry through security at Miami International Airport on Wednesday drew suspicion after TSA security officers found a hidden compartment in the bottle that contained "a small amount of dark particulate and a pungent aroma closely associated with marijuana," according to a police report.

It was not clear Sunday night what the substance was.

Vick, who has been selected to three Pro Bowls and is the Falcons' most popular player, could be spared legal ramifications and, in all likelihood, formal discipline from the NFL since there is nothing linking him to any illegal wrongdoing.

After a meeting Thursday with owner Arthur Blank, new head coach Bobby Petrino and McKay, McKay said internal discipline could be forthcoming.

By NFL rules, if a player is involved in an incident that draws suspicion of drugs, that player could be subject to being placed in the substance abuse program and random drug testing. League spokesman Greg Aiello said Friday that the NFL office was aware of the situation and was looking into it. He declined further comment.

Vick, whose $130 million contract makes him pro football's highest paid player, has been under investigation since he tried to pass through airport security with the 20-ounce water bottle. Federal laws prohibit carrying liquids in containers of more than 3 ounces through security or onto aircrafts.

Vick initially did not want to part with the bottle. After a conversation with a TSA agent at a security checkpoint, he eventually threw the bottle into a waste container. He was not arrested and caught his AirTran flight to Atlanta, where he arrived without incident and went on to meet with members of the Falcons' coaching staff.

After Vick passed through the security checkpoint, the security agent retrieved the bottle and showed it to her supervisor, who then turned the bottle over to Miami-Dade police, according to the police report. On Friday, police said analyzing the bottle was low priority and that the process could take weeks.

The recent episode cast Vick into a negative light after a string of incidents over the past two seasons that included him making an obscene gesture to fans at the Georgia Dome following a loss to the New Orleans Saints in November. The NFL fined him $10,000 and ordered him to donate $10,000 to charity.

Vick is coming off a season in which he became the first NFL quarterback to run for more than 1,000 yards. He also threw for a career-high 20 touchdowns. However, the Falcons finished 7-9 and failed to make the playoffs for a second straight season. Coach Jim Mora was fired, in part, because of the team's shortcomings.

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