AP Source: LenDale White out for season

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP)—The Denver Broncos’ tailback turnstile keeps on spinning.

LenDale White(notes) is out for the season after rupturing his Achilles’ tendon, a person familiar with the injury told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity Friday because the Broncos hadn’t publicly discussed the results of medical tests on White’s right leg. ESPN and Pro Football Talk first reported the seriousness of White’s injury Friday on Twitter.
White, trying to revive his career with his hometown team after a fallout in Tennessee and a short stay in Seattle, was injured in the second quarter of Denver’s 31-24 exhibition loss at Minnesota on Thursday night.

White was signed after Knowshon Moreno(notes) (hamstring) and Correll Buckhalter(notes) (back) got hurt in camp last month. He had been released this spring by Seattle, where Pete Carroll, who coached him at USC, is now coach.

Although he sprained an ankle two days after his arrival in Denver, White had come back strong. He scored twice in the preseason, including a 2-yard run Thursday night against the Vikings before he got hurt on a 9-yard run in the second quarter.

The Broncos were hoping it was just another ankle injury that could heal in September—White was already scheduled to sit out the first four games of the regular season, his punishment for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.

White said after the game Thursday night that he expected to be back by the time his suspension was over.

“It’s not serious at all,” White said of his injury. “I definitely have at least four weeks to get better, so I’m looking at that as a positive.”

Now he faces an arduous recovery, and there’s no guarantee he’ll ever get back on the football field. Many a running back has seen his career ended by a ruptured Achilles’ tendon.

The Broncos could bring back Justin Fargas(notes), whom they released last week, or scour the waiver wire Saturday when teams must trim rosters to 53 players. With Denver’s top three tailbacks sidelined for much of last month, Lance Ball(notes) capitalized on his carries to seemingly nail down a roster spot.

Although Buckhalter returned to action this week, Moreno’s first competitive carry this year won’t come until the Broncos’ opener at Jacksonville on Sept. 12.

White said last week he was thankful for the chance to play for his hometown team because he felt his support network of family and friends could help him get his NFL career back on track.

And having to rehab a sprained ankle only made him all the more eager to return to the field and play for the Broncos.

“I am excited to get back to football,” White said on Aug. 24, one day before he returned to practice. “Once you are playing football, there’s nothing that can be said. You can’t say I wasn’t working out in the offseason, I didn’t do this, I wasn’t doing that. Now, I’m here. I’m playing football and I’m trying to get better every day.

“So that’s what I just can’t wait to do just get on the field (and) show my teammates I’m here for the long haul. I’m going to work hard for them and you know I’m going to continue to get better every day. You know, rehabbing is not easy. You are in there for 13 hours a day. You can’t wait to get in and play football, believe me.”

Jets in danger of losing Revis forever

At one point during the latest episode of HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” Jets coach Rex Ryan explained to veteran wide receiver Laveranues Coles(notes) why the team had to cut him. It was over salary reasons, but Ryan said the team hoped to bring back Coles in the second week of the season when his contract won’t be fully guaranteed.

Ultimately, Ryan told Coles that the team had to make the move “in case [cornerback Darrelle Revis(notes)] shows up without a new contract.”
Here’s a little piece of information for Ryan and the rest of the New York Jets: If Revis doesn’t get a new contract soon, New York doesn’t have to worry about the star cornerback showing up. Ever.


As the clock ticks to the beginning of the NFL season, the relationship between the Jets and Revis is ticking toward an end. A divorce, really. That might sound like hysteria to some but it’s reality.

You can hear the agitation in Ryan’s voice when he talks about the overall state of his team. During one moment in “Hard Knocks,” Ryan chewed the Jets out for not playing with urgency, a bad sign for any team, particularly for one that hasn’t won a championship in more than four decades.


Jets fans can pump their chest about allowing only one touchdown in the first three games of preseason, but that means nothing. If the Jets are really going to run Ryan’s high-risk, blitz-heavy defense, they have to have Revis. As gifted as cornerback Antonio Cromartie(notes) is, he’s not tough enough to emulate Revis.


If the Jets can’t bridge the gap between what they are offering Revis and what he believes they promised him at the end of last season, he’s not showing up, period.


As in ever again.


At the end of last season, when the Jets were going to the AFC championship game and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was renaming Manhattan “Revis Island,” the Jets were floating on an attention high. When it all came crashing in the loss to Indianapolis, the Jets couldn’t live with the buzzkill. They openly talked about getting Revis, who has three seasons left on his contract, signed to a lifetime deal. Ryan said Revis was the best defensive player in the league. It was an open declaration of love, the kind of wooing you see in Julia Roberts’ movies.


And at that point, the Jets were committed. Owner Woody Johnson can say all he wants about how that was then and this is now, but the fact is that his team made what Revis believed to be a promise. That means a lot to a 25-year-old man who plays a game of furious emotion and passion. This isn’t an abstract business deal.


Revis believes the Jets have toyed with him by making their initial overtures so public. If this had been done privately, Revis would have shown up for training camp even if a new contract hadn’t been agreed upon.
The problem is that love in the NFL is expressed in dollars and the Jets didn’t think this one through. In fact, when the idea of a long-term contract for Revis (10 years) was broached with this reporter months ago, I took all of about 30 seconds to figure out that the approximate number Revis would be looking for was roughly $160 million.

And I’m not exactly a contract negotiator.


What’s strange is that the Jets should have anticipated that. The Jets knew agents Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod well enough to understand that this wasn’t going to be easy if they didn’t take a strong approach. It wasn’t the first time considering Revis held out as a rookie in 2007. It wasn’t when Schwartz and Feinsod were representing former Jets guard Pete Kendall(notes) and tight end Chris Baker.


Schwartz and Feinsod crafted a brilliant contract for Revis the first time, one so good that no other team has ever done it since. Schwartz and Feinsod know leverage and they have certain principles.


More important, Revis has principles, too. If you were Revis and had a pretty good idea that your value isn’t going down anytime soon (there’s plenty of proof of that around the NFL) and you no longer had faith in the Jets, would you ever play for them again? Is that the kind of professional, working marriage you’d want to get into?

His uncle, Sean Gilbert, once sat out an entire year with Washington when he wanted between $4 million and $5 million a year and the Redskins were offering $3.2 million.


After a year away, Gilbert got $7 million a year from Carolina.


Gilbert learned that great players get great money even if they miss an entire season. This year alone, No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford(notes) got $50 million guaranteed even though he was coming off an injury-marred season in which he barely played. Likewise, wide receiver Dez Bryant(notes) and tight end Jermaine Gresham(notes) were both first-round picks this year despite barely playing last season in college.


There are plenty of other examples that feed this notion.


Revis isn’t wrong to ask for a deal that eclipses Oakland cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha’s(notes) $15.17 million average. Beyond the fact that Denver cornerback Champ Bailey(notes) isn’t far behind this year with a base salary of $13 million, any 10-year or long-term deal for that type of money means the deal will be eclipsed numerous times in the coming years. It’s the way the NFL works.


To put it in another perspective, Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning(notes) will soon reset the bar for what the top players in the league are worth. The Colts will be lucky – yes, lucky – to get Manning’s deal done for less than an average of $25 million a year.


And if the top quarterback in the league is worth $25 million a year, what is the top cornerback or defensive end, left tackle or wide receiver – all guys who drastically impact the quarterback – are going to be worth?


There’s going to come a point where $16 million a year for Revis is a decent price.


The Jets can counter that by saying that they’re doing Revis a favor by redoing his contract now, at least one year in advance of free agency. That’s reasonable, but here’s another way of looking at it: If Revis plays out his contract over the next three years, he gets $21 million. The Jets then would be forced to put a franchise tag (assuming the franchise tag still exists) for a minimum of $18 million for 2013 (based on the fact that Revis’ 2012 salary is scheduled to be $15 million.


That’s $39 million over four years, but then the averages start to really jump, going way north of $20 million a year. From that perspective, $16 million a year looks like a good price.


But more important than any of that is a simple fact: Either the Jets get this done or they never have Revis again

Leftwich hurts knee as Steelers beat Panthers 19-3

PITTSBURGH (AP)—All of a sudden, losing Ben Roethlisberger(notes) for at least a month isn’t the Steelers’ only quarterback worry. Byron Leftwich(notes), expected to be the fill-in starter, is injured and looks to be out indefinitely.

Leftwich, tuning up for his anticipated Sept. 12 start against Atlanta, sprained his left knee in the second quarter as Pittsburgh beat the starter-less Carolina Panthers 19-3 on Thursday night.

Coach Mike Tomlin said Leftwich would undergo an MRI on Friday, but the quarterback’s teammates sounded discouraged. Backup Charlie Batch(notes) called it a “serious” injury, and Dennis Dixon(notes)—now the likely starter—said he couldn’t talk to Leftwich because doctors were working on the knee so intensely

Commissioner reduces Roethlisberger's suspension to four games

As most people expected, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made the decision today to reduce the six-game suspension he levied against Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger(notes) to four games. Roethlisberger, who was allowed to practice with the team and play in the preseason, will not be allowed to visit the team facility, interact with Steelers coaches or football operations personnel during his suspension, or even talk with his teammates about league or football matters. He will not be able to practice with the team, attend games, or represent the organization in any way. Reports indicate that Roethlisberger will work with an independent quarterbacks coach and throw to free-agent receivers. The four-week ban is good news in a way for the Steelers, who lost quarterback Byron Leftwich(notes) to a torn left MCL in the preseason finale.

Yahoo! Sports has learned from Bob McLaughlin of Steelers flagship station www.fox970.com that Roethlisberger broke down as he talked with teammates in the locker room after the Steelers' Thursday night 19-3 win over the Carolina Panthers. "Between the finality of the suspension, and the knowledge that the team will be down another quarterback with Leftwich's injury, there were a lot of emotional guys in that locker room," McLaughlin said.

Roethlisberger was originally suspended by the NFL for a violation of the league's personal conduct policy as the result of events that allegedly took place in a Milledgeville, Ga. bar on March 5. Roethlisberger was accused of sexually assaulting a woman after a night of drinking in the bar, though he was not charged, Goodell made the call to suspend Roethlisberger after charges were dropped. The quarterback and the Commissioner met at the league's New York offices on Friday morning, and Goodell reduced the suspension based on Roethlisberger's behavior after the alleged incident.

[Photos: More images of the Steelers quarterback]

"I'm very encouraged by what he's doing," Goodell said at Steelers training camp on Aug. 5. "He hasn't just done what he's been told to do, I think he's worked hard to really try to improve and focus on himself and understand what he's been through and what he's going to do differently going forward. I think that's a very positive thing ... He's got to work through the program that's designed for him to help him. A lot of that is confidential, but he's done it and he's done it with enthusiasm. I think that's a good thing."

"Ben has done a good job this summer of growing as the person that he needs to be, both on and off the field," Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a team-released statement. "I am confident that Ben is committed to continuing in this positive direction. As a team, our focus is now on preparing for the regular season and getting off to a good start on opening weekend."

"I have learned a lot over the past several months about myself as a person," Roethlisberger added in his own statement. "I am committed to continuing on this path of being the type of person my family raised me to be, and exceeding what is expected of me as the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers."

The league will obviously be watching Roethlisberger through those four games, and any slip-up would put the reduction in jeopardy.

Pittsburgh faces the Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Baltimore Ravens in their first four games. Roethlisberger will rejoin the team for their week 5 bye, and the Steelers will begin their season with their franchise quarterback at home against the Cleveland Browns on October 17

Vikings need to pursue Chargers’ Jackson

Last month, when Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf upgraded Brett Favre’s(notes) deal so that the 40-year-old quarterback could earn up to $20 million in 2010, some of Wilf’s peers rolled their eyes.

As one rival owner said, “It’s great for the league, but I’ve never seen anyone get down on his knees and let one player dictate to a franchise the way he has with Favre.”

I give Wilf credit for aggressively pursuing a championship at all costs – he understandably feels the Vikings’ Super Bowl hopes rest with Favre, and his prospects of getting a new stadium in Minneapolis (the team’s Metrodome lease expires after the 2011 season) may ride on the future Hall of Famer’s golden right arm as well.

What Wilf needs to do now is finish the job by doing what it takes to swing a trade for disgruntled San Diego Chargers wideout Vincent Jackson(notes). And he needs to do it by the end of the week.

Here’s the situation: Favre’s top target from last season, Pro Bowl receiver Sidney Rice(notes), recently underwent hip surgery and was placed on the physically unable to perform list, meaning he’ll miss the first six games of the season. He could be out even longer than that, depending upon how the rehab goes.

The Vikes’ next most reliable option at wideout, dynamic second-year speedster Percy Harvin(notes), continues to struggle with migraine headaches that consistently keep him out of practices and call his game-day availability into question. In a scary incident last month at Minnesota’s practice facility, Harvin collapsed and was taken away by ambulance. Harvin said last Saturday night that he believes doctors have found the “main cause” of his migraines and that “everything should be behind me.” Still, that’s hardly a rock-solid guarantee that he’ll be good to go on any given Sunday.

Meanwhile, Jackson continues a contract stalemate with the Chargers that shows no signs of ending happily. As San Diego general manager A.J. Smith indicated to me in July, the franchise has no intention of offering a long-term contract to Jackson, a restricted free agent who has yet to sign his one-year tender offer with the team.

Jackson, who made the Pro Bowl in ’09 after a second consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season, is reportedly seeking a five-year, $50-million contract with $30 million in guaranteed money. The Chargers reduced Jackson’s one-year tender offer from $3.268 million to $583,000 in mid-June, and last Friday he told the NFL Network that he’ll “absolutely” sit out the 2010 campaign if he doesn’t get the long-term deal he seeks.

Based on past experience, Smith is not going to budge – indeed, he prides himself upon his obstinacy in such situations. He did give Jackson’s agents, Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod, permission to discuss a trade with the Seattle Seahawks late last month, but no deal came to fruition. Schwartz later told Yahoo! Sports that the Chargers have refused to allow him to speak to other interested teams and that he was told there are teams to which they don’t want to trade the receiver. My guess is that the Vikings, who play in the NFC, are not one of those teams.

The reason Jackson’s representatives need to be contacted by a potential trade partner is that presumably no franchise would want to risk swinging a deal for the wideout without first agreeing to the parameters of a long-term deal. Otherwise Jackson, who will already miss the first three games of the season for violating the NFL’s personal-conduct policy, could be a one-year rental poised to bolt after the ’10 season (depending upon the rules of a new collective bargaining agreement between the owners and the NFL Players Association)
An owner desperate to win in 2010 might view things from a different perspective, however, and if Wilf really wants to give his team the best shot at a first Super Bowl championship, he’ll go after Jackson as aggressively and shamelessly as he did Favre in each of the past two offseasons.

What would it take? Only Smith, Jackson and his agents know for sure, but here’s how I’d advise Wilf to approach the situation:

• Have vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski get on the phone with Smith and offer a conditional third-round draft pick for 2011 that hinges on the Vikings’ success this season (if Minnesota reaches, say, the NFC championship game for a second consecutive year, the pick could be upgraded to a second-rounder). I’m told Smith has been asking for a second-round pick in 2011 and a third-round pick in 2012. Faced with the prospect of getting nothing for Jackson this season, and with a potential lockout looming, I suspect owner Dean Spanos might tell the GM to lower his demands and get the deal done.

• If the Chargers sign off, I’d then have Brzezinski call Schwartz and offer Jackson a one-year deal for, say, $6 million – with the promise that the Vikings wouldn’t use a franchise tag to retain Jackson following the 2010 campaign. That would still open the door for the Vikes to hammer out a long-term contract for Jackson, if both sides are so inclined; if not this would essentially be a one-year rental of Jackson’s services to protect Wilf’s investment in Favre.

• I’d do this right now. That’s because, on Aug. 20, the Chargers placed Jackson on something called the roster-exempt list, subjecting him to an immediate three-game suspension when he reports. However, if Jackson signs by Sept. 4, he can serve that suspension concurrently with the league-mandated three-game suspension. If he signs any later than Sept. 4, he’ll have to serve the suspensions consecutively and miss six games – don’t ask me why this is so; who knows? – though the NFLPA might challenge that technicality. But the bottom line is that for this assuredly to be worth the Vikings’ while, they’ll need Jackson signed, sealed and delivered by Saturday.

I’m not positive Wilf can pull this off, but I’d sure like to see him try (and not just because I’ll soon be unveiling my fifth annual owner rankings and would love to give him some props). Think of it this way, Zygi: Since you’re already perceived as being down on your knees, why not take one last, frantic swing for the fences before the games begin?

NFL player's unfortunate earring mishap

This is why we don't wear huge diamond earrings to practice

Miami Dolphins defensive end Kendall Langford(notes) is a little less shiny today than he was yesterday. He arrived at Tuesday's practice iced out with a 2.5-carat diamond hanging from his earlobe. He forgot to take it out before practice.

And Wednesday, his ears were sadly bare. After Langford and his teammates raked the grass and were on hands and knees looking for the earring, they gave up the search for a team meeting. Shortly after the grounds crew mowed the lawn and the diamond was nowhere to be found.

The defensive end would not disclose how much the diamond was worth. However, a local jewelry distributor told reporters that the diamond could be worth more than $50,000.

Del Rio Says No Surgery For Jones-Drew

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP)—Jaguars Pro Bowl running back Maurice Jones-Drew(notes) has not had knee surgery Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio said Monday.

Del Rio squelched the surgery rumors put out by an Internet blog report which said Jones-Drew had the surgery.

“No,” he said. “No, has not happened, is not necessary. He’s working, rehabbing, strengthening and gearing up for the regular season.”

Because of the team’s short week, they beat Tampa on Saturday, Del Rio will give Jones-Drew, who has a sometimes balky left knee, more rest and he won’t play against Atlanta on Thursday.

“There’s always a fine line,” Del Rio said. “You want to work your guys, they need to be ready to go, they need to be playing at their best.”

Jones-Drew, who had 10 carries in the preseason last season, has only six carries for minus-two yards this preseason, but Del Rio said he’ll worry about the running back being in game shape later.

“I think in terms of ideal scenarios you’d like to have a little more active work going into it,” Del Rio said. “I think arriving to the regular season with him at full strength ready to take his turn, I think that’s most important rather than trying to decide whether or not he’s going to be able to carry it 30 or 35 carries.

A team spokesman said Jones-Drew declined to comment