HOUSTON — Quarterback Michael Vick knew it was time to retire from the NFL last year when the Vikings didn’t contact him after Teddy Bridgewater went down with a season-ending knee injury.

Vick, who last played for Pittsburgh in 2015, made the move official on Friday.

Vick was a free agent when Bridgewater suffered a torn ACL in practice on Aug. 30, 2016. He thought the Vikings would reach out to him; instead, they ended up trading for Sam Bradford.

“Me and the guys (his associates) were sitting on the couch, and I thought I was going to get a call, man,” Vick told the Pioneer Press Friday at the site of Super Bowl LI. “But they didn’t call. That was probably the reason I chose to go into retirement, because I could have helped that football team.”

Vick, 36, went through the season without being picked up.

“I’m officially retired,” he said. “I made it official (Friday).’’

Vick said he wished he had a chance to play with Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson. Two months before the Vikings drafted Bridgewater, Peterson tweeted in March 2014 that they should sign Vick, then a free agent, because he immediately would make them “a playoff team.”

“I think they dropped the ball on that one,’’ Vick said of never being signed by the Vikings. “Me and Adrian Peterson would have been dynamic. I think a lot of these general managers, they don’t make the right decisions. Ultimately, I think it jeopardizes their careers, too.

“But it’s all in who you want. I would have loved to play with Adrian and played with the Vikings. But it’s all good.’’

Vick starred for the Atlanta Falcons from 2001-06 before he pleaded guilty to charges related to operating an illegal dog-fighting ring. He spent 21 months in prison and sat out two seasons. He returned to play five years with Philadelphia, mostly as the starter, then one apiece as a backup with the New York Jets and Pittsburgh.

Although Vick said he figured he would retire after not being picked up by the Vikings, his decision was finalized after watching games all season.

“Just watching the game this year, watching young guys out there like Dak Prescott (of Dallas), Russell (Wilson of Seattle),” Vick said. “It’s a young man’s game. I played and I had fun. I just enjoyed watching them compete because I know what it’s all about.’’

Bradford set an NFL record with a completion percentage of 71.6, although numerous injuries played a role in the Vikings’ 8-8 finish.