Michael Vick’s past continues to dog him (pardon the bad pun).

The quarterback with the crazy head-turning skills will forever be linked with his conviction and prison sentence for his part in promoting a dog fighting ring. As it should.

Now, Vick is making news again, but for all the right reasons.

Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid, who cast off longtime quarterback Donovan McNabb (sending him to division rival Washington, of all things) for Kevin Kolb at the start of the season, is now getting attention for benching Kolb after an injury, during which Vick filled in.

Boy, did he fill in.

Vick threw for 175 yards and a touchdown, then ran for 103 yards at Green Bay. Two more TDs and a boatload of yards passing in a win over Detroit. (Yeah, I know, it’s the Lions, but still …)

So when Kolb was healthy again after the concussion he suffered in the Packers’ game, Reid had a decision to make, which he did. And then he changed his mind.

There are all sorts of directions this story takes.

First, there’s the old axiom that a starting player should never lose his job because of an injury. We’ll conveniently ignore that this axiom has been violated many times over the years, despite the belief by some diehard fans that this principle is etched in stone on tablets handed down by Tom Landry.

If a replacement makes a bold statement while the starter is sidelined, a coach is foolish to ignore that performance. NFL coaches have too much riding on their jobs to be bound by this so-called rule.

Second, there’s Reid’s flip-flop on the issue. He first announced that Kolb would be the starter on his return, then changed his mind a couple of days later.

Reid told Sports Illustrated columnist Peter King his reason: “I needed to buy myself some time, to think about this and make the right decision.”

In other words, he was feeding everyone some malarkey while he thought the situation over. At least he was honest about it in the end, for whatever that’s worth.

Finally, there’s Vick’s past.

I’m not going to go through the litany of his transgressions. Suffice it to say that he was charged, tried, found guilty, sentenced to prison, served his time with incident, and publicly expressed sincere remorse for his misdeeds.

As far as we know, Vick has kept his nose clean since. And he will continue to suffer the consequences in his bank account, as it is highly unlikely that any high-profile advertiser will seek out his endorsement for mega-millions. Never mind that Vick has moves and abilities straight out of a Madden NFL game. He’ll have to lead a team to three straight Super Bowl wins, gain 400 yards all-around and pass or run for five touchdowns in each before Nike or any other company will even come close to signing him. He’s still too radioactive — put Vick in your ad and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals puts you on their hit list.

This begs the question: When do we, as society in general and sports fans in particular, consider Vick’s debt to society to be paid?

It probably depends on how he does on the field of play. If he returns to the moves that caught our eye before his conviction, that day will come sooner than later.

Frankly, that should not be the case. We should judge him on how he lives his life, not how many tackles he evades in a defensive secondary. But that’s the way it is, whether we like it or not.

I’m hoping against hope that Vick becomes the bad boy made good. I think almost everyone wants to see that, to see someone with exceptional potential who has been truly rehabilitated. And we’re all holding our collective breath, because we have seen our hopes dashed in other cases in the past.

I’ll assume that Reid is making his decision solely for competitive reasons, and that no outside forces have pressured him one way or another, as he has stated. The wisdom of his choice will play out for the rest of the season. It’s a bit of a Hail Mary pass on his part, as Reid was already in hot water with Philly faithful for trading McNabb.

Even though I’m not particularly a Philadelphia fan (to the dismay of my half-brother Eric, who bleeds Eagle green), I am rooting for Vick to make good on his comeback.

We could use a feel-good story right about now. And Michael Vick may be the man to bring it to us.