Jets backup quarterback Michael Vick is weeks away from paying off the majority of the nearly $18 million he owed his creditors when he filed for bankruptcy in 2008, according to an ESPN report.

Vick filed for Chapter 11 protection before he went to prison for his involvement in a dog-fighting ring. Since being released from prison in 2009, Vick has played for the Eagles and the Jets. He agreed to go on a restrictive budget from 2010 through 2014 to pay back his creditors. Vick has earned more than $49 million in that time, according to the report.

Joseph Luzinski, a senior vice president at Development Specialists Inc., a management consultancy firm and the liquidating trustee in Vick’s case, told ESPN that Vick has paid off more than $15 million of the $17.8 million he owed.

“What Michael did was the exception, not the rule,” Luzinski said. “He didn’t have to do this. The law allows you to skate by and pay your creditors 10 or 20 cents on the dollar, but he thought this was the right thing to do.”

Vick told ESPN he could have filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which would have forgiven most of his debt. Instead, he wanted to pay people back.

“I didn’t want to stiff people who never stiffed me,” Vick told ESPN

One of the biggest offseason decisions awaiting whoever is running the Jets is what to do with WR Percy Harvin, who is due to make $10.5 million next season. There has been speculation Harvin would not take a paycut to stay with the Jets, but Harvin said he has not ruled anything out.

“I haven’t even thought about it yet,” Harvin said.

Harvin did not practice Wednesday as he still is recovering from a sprained left ankle, but he expects to play Sunday.

DE Muhammad Wilkerson was limited in practice with the turf toe injury that has caused him to miss the last three games. He said he suffered a bit of a setback last week when someone stepped on the toe in practice. Both Wilkerson and coach Rex Ryan said they are unsure of his status for Sunday’s game with the Patriots.

Ryan, who was fined $100,000 for cursing on the sideline last month, said he noticed some salty language from Patriots quarterback Tom Brady when studying the TV tape of the Patriots.

“To be honest with you, I couldn’t watch all of a game,” Ryan joked. “I was offended by the language I saw. I was like, ‘Wow.’ I’m thinking, ‘Boy that fine has to really be hefty because that’s one, two, three, four, five of those bad boys I think.’ I’m not sure what that was, but I couldn’t even get through the game.”

No fines have been reported for Brady’s cursing, but the FCC reportedly has received complaints.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick was asked about Ryan calling him a first-ballot Hall of Famer this week: “It’s a very flattering comment, but it sounds like Rex is just buttering me up,” Belichick said.

Ryan said cornerback Josh Thomas’ release was not because Thomas lost his playbook, but he understands the timing makes it look that way. Thomas was inactive for five of the eight games he was on the Jets and the team wanted to give safety Rontez Miles a look.