The owner of the Atlanta Falcons says Michael Vick has paid his debt to society and merits a second chance.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank, who once gave Vick a $130 million contract, said Wednesday that the quarterback is taking positive steps by wanting to work with humane societies and making other changes in his life.

Vick left a federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas Wednesday morning after serving most of a 23-month sentence for involvement in a dogfighting ring. Blank, whose team still owns the player's contractual rights, said he has been in written communication with Vick since the sentence began.

"There's no question Michael's paid his debt to society, obviously," Blank said during a break at the NFL owners' meetings in South Florida.