NFL News

Packers' Jolly receives six-year prison term

2011-11-17T15:15:00.001-08:00

State District Judge Denise Bradley imposed the sentence despite tearful pleas from Jolly and his mother, Phyllis Jolly, to allow the 6-foot-3, 325-pound lineman to be treated for his addiction to codeine instead of going to prison. Jolly's aunt, agent and drug counselor also testified on his behalf.

Browns RB Hardesty tests calf injury outdoors

2011-11-16T15:12:00.001-08:00

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns running back Montario Hardesty tested his injured calf by running outside Wednesday as his teammates practiced. Hardesty has missed Cleveland's past two games after tearing a muscle in his right calf Oct. 30 against San Francisco. Hardesty's injury was a double blow to the Browns because they were already without starter Peyton Hillis, who will miss his fifth straight

Redskins put two on IR, bring back Stallworth

2011-11-15T15:20:00.001-08:00

ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Redskins have placed receiver Leonard Hankerson and defensive end Kedric Golston on injured reserve and re-signed receiver Donte' Stallworth and defensive end Darrion Scott. Third-round pick Hankerson tore the labrum in his right hip, and Golston injured a pair of knee ligaments in Sunday's 20-9 loss to Miami. Hankerson was hurt during his first 100-yard

Bills center Wood (ACL) out for rest of 2011

2011-11-14T15:13:00.001-08:00

Wood confirmed what the Bills feared, that he tore a ligament a day earlier in a 44-7 loss at Dallas. He added doctors are waiting for the swelling to subside before determining when to have surgery. It'll be the second season-ending operation Wood's had in his three years in Buffalo; he broke two bones in his left leg during his rookie season. "It's definitely not something I wanted to go

Haynesworth starts Sunday for Bucs in defeat

2011-11-13T15:18:00.001-08:00

He was credited with five tackles (four solo) but the Buccaneers were crushed by the Houston Texans 37-9 to fall to 4-5 on the season. Haynesworth started even though he didn't practice with his new team until Thursday. The 350-pound defensive tackle said Thursday he was motivated to leave behind two-plus disappointing seasons with Washington and New England and prove he can still be a

Titans' Washington, Cook, Hall back at practice

2011-11-12T15:14:00.001-08:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Wide receiver Nate Washington, tight end Jared Cook and fullback Ahmard Hall were back on the practice field for the Tennessee Titans on Friday and will be listed as questionable for Sunday's game in Carolina. Linebacker Barrett Ruud sat out again Friday with his injured groin, but will be questionable and will be a game-time decision for the Titans. Rookie linebacker Colin

Bills' Johnson misses practice, expected to play

2011-11-11T15:17:00.001-08:00

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Buffalo Bills top receiver Steve Johnson didn't practice Friday because he was sick, but the illness shouldn't keep him out of Sunday's game against the host Dallas Cowboys. Johnson came to the practice facility for medication Friday morning before returning home to rest. He leads the team with 42 catches for 523 yards, and hasn't missed a game despite a nagging groin

Browns safety Ward likely out against Rams

2011-11-10T15:14:00.001-08:00

Ward missed his second day of practice Thursday with the injury he sustained last week in Houston, and coach Pat Shurmur said there's a "very good chance" the hard-hitting safety will not play Sunday against the St. Louis Rams. "I don't want to rule him out yet," Shurmur said. But that seems inevitable with Ward's foot still in a cast, just three days from kickoff. The Browns have not

Steelers' Clark fined $40K, takes jab at Goodell

2011-11-09T15:16:00.001-08:00

" So it's going to turn into if you're going to fine me $40,000, I might as well put him to sleep for real or I might as well blow his knee out. " -- Ryan Clark Also, the NFL fined Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Steelers receiver Hines Ward in the same game. Lewis wouldn't disclose the amount of the fine but a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter that

Bucs DT McCoy (biceps) out for rest of 2011

2011-11-08T15:18:00.001-08:00

TAMPA, Fla. -- The struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have to pull out of a midseason funk without Gerald McCoy. The second-year defensive tackle was placed on injured reserve Monday after tearing his right biceps during the opening quarter of a 27-16 loss to New Orleans that dropped the Bucs (4-4) into third place in the NFC South. McCoy had just returned to the lineup after sitting out the

Vick reportedly most disliked NFL player in poll

2011-11-07T15:14:00.001-08:00

Michael Vick has come all the way back from prison to star in the NFL again. But he apparently still won't win a popularity contest among the league's fans. Forbes.com reported Monday that Vick is the NFL's most disliked player, according to a poll by Nielsen and E-Poll Market Research. Forbes.com reports that 60 percent of those polled picked said they "dislike," "dislike somewhat," or "

Chargers' Mathews, Floyd, Phillips out vs. Pack

2011-11-06T15:10:00.001-08:00

SAN DIEGO -- Running back Ryan Mathews, wide receiver Malcom Floyd and linebacker Shaun Phillips are among the San Diego Chargers' inactive players against the Green Bay Packers. Guard Kris Dielman is missing his second straight game with a concussion. The other inactives are linebackers Na'il Diggs and Everette Brown, and defensive end Luis Castillo. Rookie Vincent Brown is expected to start

Vikings Stadium drama stoking fears of move

2011-11-05T16:21:00.001-07:00

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A YouTube video making the rounds at the Minnesota Capitol these days shows a man slowly opening a gift box as ominous music thumps in the background. He folds back the flaps, reaches in and pulls out a foam rubber cheesehead -- a symbol of the hated Green Bay Packers next door. "Some things are too sickening to imagine," warns the video. "Minnesota as Green Bay Packer

Bengals sell out, ending 7-game blackout streak

2011-11-04T16:15:00.001-07:00

CINCINNATI -- The Bengals have sold out their Nov. 13 home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, breaking their streak of seven straight games blacked out on local television because of less-than-capacity crowds. Cincinnati (5-2) failed to sell out its last four games in 2010 and the first three this year. The Bengals drew only 41,142 fans for a win over Buffalo on Oct. 2, the smallest

Colts' Manning wants to play in '11 if feasible

2011-11-03T16:16:00.001-07:00

Manning said Thursday he hopes to return to practice this year and still holds out hope of playing if doctors say he is finally healed from his Sept. 8 neck surgery. Irsay, the team owner, said he expects the four-time NFL MVP still has some good years in that right arm. There are some big questions looming in Indy. The Colts (0-8) must decide whether to opt out of Manning's five-year

Vikings official warns state about delaying vote

2011-11-02T16:13:00.001-07:00

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A Minnesota Vikings executive warned Wednesday that delaying until next year a state legislature vote on financing for a new stadium would increase the project's already hefty cost and would leave the football franchise without a lease binding it to Minnesota. Vice president Lester Bagley's reaction came to newly voiced opposition from House Speaker Kurt Zellers to an

Safety panel to focus Tuesday meet on Dielman

2011-11-01T16:12:00.001-07:00

A concussion and subsequent seizure suffered Oct. 23rd by San Diego Chargers Pro Bowl guard Kris Dielman will be the subject of intensive discussion when the NFL and NFL Players Association's Joint Committee on Player Safety and Welfare meets in New York on Tuesday. Dielman was injured early in the fourth quarter when he collided with New York Jets linebacker Calvin Pace. Immediately following

Browns' Hardesty sidelined by torn calf muscle

2011-10-31T16:29:00.001-07:00

BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns are running out of running backs. Montario Hardesty tore a calf muscle in Sunday's loss at San Francisco, leaving Cleveland with just one healthy running back on its current roster. Coach Pat Shurmur said Hardesty will be out an indefinite period. "It will be games," said Shurmur, adding Hardesty is wearing a protective boot. "It will take him a little time to heal

QB Whitehurst starts but gets pulled for Jackson

2011-10-30T16:26:00.001-07:00

SEATTLE -- Seahawks coach Pete Carroll pulled a quarterback switcheroo Sunday, listing Tarvaris Jackson as the starter, but sending Charlie Whitehurst out for Seattle's first offensive series. Whitehurst's stint didn't last long, however, as Jackson entered the game with 10:41 left in the second quarter and the team already down 10-3 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Jackson was active after

Heel injury sidelines Saints RB Ingram vs. Rams

2011-10-29T15:15:00.001-07:00

As a result, the Saints will move running back Chris Ivory from the physically unable to perform list to the 53-man active roster, coach Sean Payton said Friday. The move swaps one leading rusher for another. Ingram leads the Saints with 329 yards and three touchdowns on 85 carries this season. Ivory, meanwhile, led the Saints in 2010 with 716 yards and five touchdowns. New Orleans must

Out for a year, Pacman activated by Bengals

2011-10-28T15:12:00.001-07:00

CINCINNATI -- Cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones was activated off an injury list on Friday, making him eligible for the Cincinnati Bengals' game in Seattle. Jones has been sidelined for approximately a year by a bulging disk in his neck that required two surgical procedures. He opened the season on an injury list, and was cleared to resume practice this week. He takes the roster spot of running

Polian: Injuries, not coach, reason Colts 0-7

2011-10-27T15:13:00.001-07:00

"How you evaluate (Caldwell) is what you do with what he has," Polian said. "You can't hold him responsible for injuries. You can't hold him responsible for an unforeseen surgery (to Manning) that no one anticipated would happen. The things that he can control, I think he's done a terrific job of, given where we are from a standpoint of personnel." The Colts (0-7) are coming off a 62-7 loss to

Browns RB Hillis will start vs. 49ers if healthy

2011-10-26T15:21:00.001-07:00

Hillis, who missed last week's game against Seattle with a strained hamstring, practiced Wednesday for the first time since getting hurt in Cleveland's Oct. 16 loss at Oakland. Since then, Browns president Mike Holmgren has said negotiations with Hillis on a contract extension have been put on hold. Browns coach Pat Shurmur said Hillis will start this week at San Francisco if he's healthy.

Redskins place RB Hightower, TE Cooley on IR

2011-10-25T15:21:00.001-07:00

ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Redskins have placed tight end Chris Cooley and running back Tim Hightower on injured reserve. Cooley's season comes to an end because of a balky left knee and a broken left index finger. He had knee surgery at the end of last season and never fully recovered, then hurt his finger in the loss to Philadelphia on Oct. 16. He had his knee re-examined in the wake

Mayor has plan to keep Vikings in Minneapolis

2011-10-24T15:16:00.001-07:00

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak made a pitch to Gov. Mark Dayton on Monday to keep the Minnesota Vikings in downtown Minneapolis, saying a new football stadium could be built more cheaply there than the team's preferred site in the suburbs. Rybak emerged from a meeting with Dayton saying that he'd prefer a statewide sales tax increase, but the most realistic way to pay for