LaDainian Tomlinson was back at practice Wednesday for the first time since spraining his right ankle in the season opener, an encouraging sign for a San Diego Chargers team that has struggled to run the ball. After missing two straight games for the first time in his brilliant career, Tomlinson hopes he can play Sunday night at Pittsburgh. Comments Off

Two years ago, the Cleveland Browns turned their woeful offense over to Derek Anderson and won 10 games. Eric Mangini can only hope it happens again. With his first season in Cleveland already unraveling, Mangini benched Brady Quinn in favor of Anderson, who rode a similar opportunity in 2007 to an appearance in the Pro Bowl.

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Dwight Freeney walked in and out of the Colts locker room with no detectable limp and no crutches Wednesday. It's a long way from competing on game day. Indy's best pass-rushing end told reporters he hopes to recover quickly enough from a strained right quadriceps to play Sunday against Seattle even though that appears unlikely. Comments Off

Retired professional football players may have a higher rate than normal of Alzheimer's disease or other memory problems, suggests a preliminary study that provides more fuel for concerns about long-term risk of concussions. Experts said that the work was not definitive but that it fit in with other studies suggesting a long-term risk from head injuries in sports. Comments Off

The banged-up New York Giants have another injury to worry about. With 10 players already on their injury report, coach Tom Coughlin found a new name on the list Wednesday: backup halfback Ahmad Bradshaw, who rushed for 104 yards in New York's 24-0 win over Tampa Bay this past weekend. Bradshaw walked to practice wearing a boot on his right foot to protect sprains to his ankle and foot. Comments Off

Running back Clinton Portis and defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth are among the gimpy Washington Redskins. Portis, Haynesworth, cornerback Carlos Rogers and fullback Mike Sellers sat out practice Wednesday. Coach Jim Zorn was optimistic all four will play Sunday against Tampa Bay. Portis was kicked in the calf in the loss to the Lions and has been battling bone spurs in his ankles. Comments Off

Chad Pennington says he'll undergo surgery soon to repair his season-ending shoulder injury, and he'll start rehabilitation before deciding whether to retire or continue his NFL career. The Miami Dolphins quarterback was hurt in Sunday's loss at San Diego. He said he'll meet Thursday with Dr. Comments Off

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick has agreed to repay at least $416,000 that he is accused of illegally withdrawing from a pension plan. The Labor Department said Wednesday the payment settles a lawsuit against Vick for making transfers from the plan sponsored by a celebrity marketing company he once owned. Comments Off

Michael Vick told a sparse crowd at a Washington church on Tuesday that dogfighting is pointless and he doesn't know why he risked his career for it. "I got caught up in the culture," the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback said at Covenant Baptist Church, in one of the city's poorest neighborhoods.

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NFL officials and the NFL Players Association can at least agree on one thing: Tuesday's bargaining session went well. The two sides hope to negotiate a new labor deal after the NFL opted out of the collective bargaining agreement last year. The contract won't expire until after the 2010 season. Comments Off