PITTSBURGH -- In his career twilight, Michael Vick has accepted his role as a backup quarterback.

But he's not going to lie. Being the No. 3 quarterback, taking scout-team reps for the Pittsburgh Steelers, isn't easy for a guy who should own partial YouTube stock for his glory-days highlight work.

Michael Vick said he feels that he can still succeed despite not having his past blazing speed. Timothy T. Ludwig/USA TODAY Sports

He helped Matt Simms with a few scout-team reps while with the Jets in 2014. Still, this is different. He's going to be on the inactive list most weeks.

"It's a humbling experience," said Vick, 35, speaking to ESPN after appearing in front of state reps in support of an animal-advocacy bill. "I've been a starter for so long. That's not the case now."

Well, that was the case for about two games, when Vick led the Steelers to a 1-1 record in place of the injured Ben Roethlisberger. He started a third game against Arizona but struggled mightily (6 yards on 3-of-8 passing in more than two quarters of play). He left the game with a hamstring injury and Landry Jones led the Steelers to a 25-13 win.

By the end of the day, Jones had basically elevated to No. 2 on the depth chart. On the year, Vick is 40-of-66 for 371 yards, two touchdown passes and one interception.

As a late August signing, Vick estimates he knew about 60 percent of the offense when he became the part-time starter. He wished things could have been different, as he knows the nuances of Todd Haley's system now. But he still feels he can help the Steelers through weekly preparation and can play if called upon. The hamstring injury kept him out of action for about 3-4 weeks, he said.

He's committed to playing somewhere in 2016.

"I love the game of football," Vick said. "I feel I can still give something back to the game."

Vick isn't expecting the time-machine version of himself. But he believes he can still produce.

"My arm feels good," he said. "I still have enough speed. Not 2005 speed, but enough to go out and feel good about it."