ATLANTA -- Falcons owner Arthur Blank honored both Michael Vick and Roddy White in a ceremony Monday and said the team will consider retiring their jerseys.
Neither player signed a one-day contract to retire as Falcons. During the event, Blank was asked about the possibility of both players having their jerseys retired and being inducted into the team's Ring of Honor.
"We have a process that we have to go through with that, and certainly, given their records as Falcons players and their careers, they would certainly be considered for that," Blank said.
A mom with her boys. @roddywhiteTV, @MikeVick's mom Brenda and Mike. pic.twitter.com/kGg7jBTs0I
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) June 12, 2017
According to the team, six players have had their jerseys retired: No. 10 Steve Bartkowski, No. 31 William Andrews, No. 57 Jeff Van Note, No. 58 Jesse Tuggle, No. 60 Tommy Nobis and No. 78 Mike Kenn. All six are in the team's nine-member Ring of Honor.
White, a four-time Pro Bowler and the franchise's all-time leading receiver with 10,083 receiving yards and 63 touchdowns on 808 catches, was grateful for Monday's ceremony but also wants to see his No. 84 jersey retired.
"Yes, I care if I get my jersey hanging up," White told ESPN. "Yes, I do want that. At this point, I'm the franchise's all-time leading receiver. And I probably played one of the longest tenures as a Falcon. I've been pretty successful. Deep down in my heart, I would love that. I want it all. Yes, I want my jersey retired. The Ring of Honor, I think that goes along with it.
"I think I'm a good candidate for it. Hopefully it goes my way. If it doesn't, I won't be mad. I know Bartkowski has his number retired because when I first got here, I tried to get the No. 10. They told me it was retired, so I couldn't get it."
Vick, who spent his first six NFL seasons with the Falcons, was the first and only quarterback to surpass 1,000 rushing yards in a season in league history. His time with the Falcons came to an abrupt end when he was sentenced to 23 months in prison for running a dogfighting operation. Vick was asked if he cares about having his No. 7 jersey retired or being inducted into the Ring of Honor.
"This is what means the most to me right now: I can forever say I'm retired as an Atlanta Falcon," Vick said of Monday's ceremony. "Whatever comes along with it, comes along with it. I'd be more than glad to fulfill any obligation that I'm asked to fulfill or be anywhere that I'm asked to be. But right now, I'm happy ... I'm happy."
Former Falcons center Todd McClure, who introduced Vick on Monday, referred to him as the "King of Atlanta" and said Vick changed the culture. He spoke up on behalf of both players regarding jersey retirement.
"I'm not the one who makes the decision, but both of those guys deserve to be hanging in those rafters," McClure said. "If I were to ask you with this franchise who do you think of, you'd think about this guy right here, Michael Vick. You think about Roddy White. Those are guys that impacted this city and impacted this organization. And I think they should be hanging in the rafters."
Vick and White, joined by a host of family members during the ceremony, both expressed a fondness for Blank for his support throughout the years.
White was introduced by former teammate and fellow receiver Brian Finneran, who broke into tears while describing what White meant to the franchise.