Texans quarterback Matt Schaub has sprained his left ankle against the Vikings. Schaub appeared to hurt his ankle when he get tangled up at the line on a touchdown run by Steve Slaton with about four minutes left in the first half Monday night. He got his ankle taped and returned for the last series of the second quarter, where he completed two passes before Houston kicked a field goal. Comments Off

The battered Broncos are running out of time and players alike. With just a short week left in their preseason, the Broncos are scrambling to fix a turnover-prone, mistake-filled and injury-riddled offense that's nowhere near ready for the regular season. "Time is running out," quarterback Kyle Orton said. Comments Off

Tedy Bruschi began the first day of his post-football life by taking out the trash. "I'm real life," he said, "I'm just regular." Hardly. Bruschi is that unique player who won three Super Bowls, spent a long career with just one team and got Bill Belichick to drop his stoic persona on Monday and, in a voice shaking with emotion, call Bruschi "a perfect player."...

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Carson Palmer threw some passes to Cincinnati Bengals teammates during practice, an indication he could play in the final preseason game. Palmer threw to receivers during the first 30 minutes of practice Monday, the first time he's done that in nearly three weeks. The quarterback dropped back after taking snaps and moved around without problem on his sprained left ankle.

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Rookie head coach Todd Haley fired offensive coordinator Chan Gailey and assumed that role himself Monday, 13 days before he opens the season with a very unsettled quarterback situation. Matt Cassel was injured in Saturday night's preseason loss to Seattle, limping away with a knee injury. But Haley refused to discuss the injury to Cassel, who signed a six-year contract for a guaranteed $28... Comments Off

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have released underachieving wide receiver Dexter Jackson. Jackson was a second-round draft pick out of Appalachian State in 2008. He appeared in the first seven games of last season, primarily as a kick returner. The 23-year-old returned 20 punts and 14 kickoffs with limited success before losing the kick return job to undrafted free agent Clifton Smith. Comments Off

Heckled and harassed by a hostile crowd, Jay Cutler silenced the jeers the best way he knew how -- with his powerful right arm. The Chicago quarterback played the role of villain to perfection in his return to Invesco Field, leading the Bears team to a 27-17 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday night.

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Tedy Bruschi is retiring after a 13-year career marked by an inspiring return to the New England Patriots as a starting linebacker eight months after a stroke. A person familiar with his decision told The Associated Press on Sunday night that the 36-year-old Bruschi will announce his retirement at a news conference Monday morning.

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San Francisco strong safety Michael Lewis has sustained his second concussion in 11 days and will be evaluated this week before he can return to the field. Lewis, who has played sparingly this preseason because of injuries, took a knee to the helmet in the first quarter of San Francisco's 20-13 win at Dallas on Saturday night. Comments Off

Offensive tackle Andre Smith signed a contract Sunday with the Cincinnati Bengals, ending an impasse that dragged on a month into the preseason. The Bengals originally planned to have Smith start at right tackle, but he has missed three preseason games. He was in Cincinnati and agreed to the deal shortly before the start of a late afternoon practice, allowing him to get back on the field. Comments Off