Jan. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick is being investigated after signs of marijuana were found in a water bottle he carried at an airport security check, according to a police report.

The bottle, with a hidden compartment that had ``a pungent aroma closely associated with marijuana,'' was taken from a recycling bin at Miami International Airport yesterday, the report by Miami-Dade Police said. A substance, described as ``a dark particulate,'' was sent to a lab for analysis, which might take three months, police said.

Vick, 26, a passenger on an Air Tran flight from Miami to Atlanta yesterday, wasn't arrested. He surrendered the bottle and passed through security before the substance was found, police said. Vick wasn't available for comment and agent Joel Segal didn't return a message left on his mobile phone.

``Right now we're waiting for the lab results,'' police spokesman Alvaro Zabaleta said in a telephone interview. ``Depending on those results, we'll then determine where the investigation goes next.''

National Football League spokesman Greg Aiello said the league is looking into the case. A player violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy must attend a drug-treatment program and may be subject to league discipline.

Falcons President Rich McKay said the team had expressed its displeasure to Vick about the case and would let the NFL decide on possible punishment.

`Let People Down'

``I think he understands how upset we all are that this situation occurred,'' McKay said in remarks distributed by the Falcons. ``I think he knows when it comes to a franchise in the NFL, the quarterback is looked at as the centerpiece player. There is a lot of focus and maybe in our case even more. He knows he let a lot of people down.''

Police said airport screeners became suspicious of Vick after he was unwilling to turn over the bottle before boarding. He eventually surrendered the bottle to a Transportation Security Administration official, who placed it in a recycle bin, and Vick was allowed to go to his gate.

Vick's initial reluctance prompted TSA official Gertrude Joseph to retrieve and examine the 20-ounce bottle, the police report said. She discovered the hidden compartment and notified her supervisor.

The bottle's label concealed a seam that separated it into halves. The top and bottom portions held clear liquid, while the suspicious substance was found in a middle compartment, according to a police description.

Bottle

``When held upright the bottle appeared to be half full of water,'' the report said.

The investigating officer reviewed security cameras to substantiate what occurred, according to the police report.

Vick threw for a career-high 20 touchdowns and rushed for 1,039 yards this season, the first NFL quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards. The Falcons failed to reach the playoffs for the second straight year.

He was fined $10,000 by the NFL and agreed to donate the same amount to charity after making an obscene gesture toward fans at the Georgia Dome after a Nov. 26 game.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank and new coach Bobby Petrino said last week that Vick would remain the team's starting quarterback even after it ranked 25th in scoring and last in passing, a performance that led to questions about Vick's long-term position with the team.

Vick, who is one of the league's biggest marketing attractions, has eight years remaining on a $130 million contract he signed in December 2004.

To contact the reporter on this story: Larry DiTore in New York at lditore@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: January 18, 2007 16:40 EST