Ravens Waive Jamal Lewis

Running back Jamal Lewis, the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year in 2003, was cut by the Baltimore Ravens on Wednesday.

General manager Ozzie Newsome said the team still hoped to re-sign him.

Lewis ran for 2,066 yards in 2003, the second-highest total in NFL history. His numbers slipped after that -- his 1,132 yards last season were his most since then, although he averaged just 3.6 yards per carry.

Lewis, 27, spent the 2005 offseason serving time in prison after a guilty plea to using a cell phone to set up a drug buy. He also has had ankle problems.

The Ravens' first pick in the 2000 draft, Lewis was due a $5 million roster bonus on March 3 along with a $5 million base salary for the 2007 season. The Ravens have spent the last week negotiating with Mitch Frankel, his agent for a deal that would be more cap friendly.

Still, releasing Lewis, who carried a salary-cap figure of $11.6 million, creates $8.3 million in cap room. Baltimore is now roughly $11.3 million under the league salary cap limit of $109 million. Lewis was paid $6 million last season, including a $5 million signing bonus.

Last week, the Ravens decided not to assign a $7.2 million franchise tag to Pro Bowl linebacker Adalius Thomas, ensuring his eventual departure as a high-priced free agent.

If the Ravens part ways with Lewis, it would leave them with only veteran Mike Anderson, who carried just 39 times for 183 yards last season. Also on the roster is P.J. Daniels, a fourth-round draft pick from Georgia Tech who didn't get into a game as a rookie last season.


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!

Do you love football? Then tune it to the Football Fanatics Show!

McGahee Available for the Right Price

Calling no player "untouchable," Buffalo Bills coach Dick Jauron said the team would consider trade offers for starting running back Willis McGahee.

"It's in our best interest to listen to everybody, and no people are untouchable," Jauron told The Associated Press at the NFL's annual scouting combine at Indianapolis on Monday. "He's a good back. He's our starting running back right now. It's no surprise to me at all that people are interested."

Asked specifically if McGahee is on the trading block, Jauron said: "Well, people talk. People talk in the league all the time."

It's unusual for trade discussions to be made public, or for a coach to acknowledge any talk that involves players -- particularly a player of McGahee's caliber. The three-year starter has one year left on his contract and had expressed interest in seeking an extension with Buffalo.

News that the Bills would shop McGahee first came up last weekend, when New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese expressed interest in the player as a potential replacement for Tiki Barber, who retired after last season.

"There is some Willis McGahee talk," Reese had said. "We'll investigate Willis, we'll investigate everybody with trade talk. We'll leave no stone unturned."

Reese's comments created a stir in Buffalo, where the Bills had previously sidestepped questions about McGahee's long-term status with the team.

McGahee was unavailable for comment and his phone number is not listed. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, did not immediately return calls.

Buffalo's first-round pick out of Miami in 2003, McGahee is coming off a down season in which he finished with a career-low 990 yards rushing, but led the team with six touchdowns rushing in 14 starts.

In 2005, he had 1,247 yards rushing and five touchdowns in 15 starts. He established himself as the Bills starter in 2004 with 1,128 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns in 11 starts. That performance led the team to trade former starter Travis Henry to Tennessee the following summer.

McGahee sat out his rookie season recovering from major knee surgery.

The Bills have been disappointed in McGahee for conducting most of his offseason workouts in his native Miami, rather than traveling to the team's Orchard Park headquarters. McGahee also created a stir last month, when he was quoted in a magazine article suggesting the NFL consider moving the Bills to Toronto.

McGahee later released a statement saying his comments were taken out of context and that he would never suggest such a move.

Chiefs Allen Wants Traded

Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen has yet to be offered a long-term contract and has requested to be traded.

Allen told the Kansas City Star on Saturday that he wanted to finish his career with the Chiefs, but the club hasn't offered the restricted free agent a contract.

"I feel shocked and hurt." Allen told the Star. "Requesting a trade was probably the toughest thing I've had to do. It's nothing personal against the town of Kansas City and the fans. It's been great. [But] it doesn't look like my future is going to be there, and I have to accept that. That's why this is so hard. All the hard work I've put in, the blood, sweat and tears … I wanted to finish my career there. I was led to believe I was going to."

The Chiefs turned down Allen's request for a trade and president/general manager Carl Peterson said the club plans to tender Allen on Thursday, according to the report. Thursday is the deadline for teams to submit qualifying offers to restricted free agents.

Allen has 27½ sacks in his three NFL season and led the league with six fumble recoveries in 2006.

Allen's agent, Ken Harris, told the Star that the Chiefs plan to high tender Allen. Kansas City would receive a first and third round draft choice if another team signed him to an offer sheet. If that happens, Allen, would earn $2.35 million as a high tender in 2007 according to the Star.

Peterson also noted that even though Allen's two DUI convictions -- the second earlier this month in Leawood, Kan. -- factored into the contract process, he still wanted Allen on the team.

Anchor of Fearsome Foursome Dies at 71

Lamar Lundy, a member of the Fearsome Foursome defensive line for the Los Angeles Rams in the 1960s, died Saturday. He was 71.

He died after a long illness in his hometown.

Lundy spent his entire 13-year career with the Rams (1957-69). He teamed with Merlin Olsen and Deacon Jones -- both future Pro Football Hall of Famers -- and Roosevelt Grier to form a mighty defensive line. In 1968, the defense featuring the four set an NFL record for the fewest yards allowed during a 14-game season.

"He was a tremendous performer and a better person," Olsen said in Saturday's Palladium-Item newspaper.

Olsen called Lundy, 6-foot-7 and 250 pounds, the anchor of the line.

"He really was the stabilizing force, Mr. Consistency," Olsen said. "He was an incredibly important part of that equation."

Unlike his other three linemates, though, Lundy started out on the other side of the ball.

He spent his first three NFL seasons playing primarily as a tight end and caught 35 passes for 584 yards and six touchdowns -- three in each of his first two seasons -- before moving to defense.

Lundy was the first black football player to receive a scholarship at Purdue, the school said. He led Richmond High School to unbeaten football seasons in 1952 and 1953 and to the state's Final Four in basketball in 1953.

He was such a good athlete that he also started on the Purdue basketball team and was selected the Boilermakers team MVP in both football and basketball as a senior.

Lundy earned all-state honors in both football and basketball during his high-school career and was a member of Indiana's prestigious basketball All-Star team.

He was selected to the 1959 Pro Bowl team and led the Rams in sacks, an unofficial statistic in those days, in 1961.

A knee injury he sustained in 1967 led to his retirement from football.

Funeral arrangements were pending.


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!

Do you love football? Then tune it to the Football Fanatics Show!

Browns Win Coin Flip; Dillon to Retire?

Cleveland won a coin flip with Tampa Bay on Friday at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis and will pick third overall in April's draft. The Buccaneers will select fourth.

The teams finished with identical 4-12 records last season and their opponents had the same winning percentage, making the coin toss necessary.

Browns general manager Phil Savage and Tampa Bay GM Bruce Allen represented their clubs at the coin toss. Allen called heads and the coin landed tails, giving the Browns the No. 3 overall pick for the fifth time in club history.

In 2005, the Browns selected wide receiver Braylon Edwards with the third choice.

****
New England Patriots tailback Corey Dillon told the Boston Globe he wants to be released from the Patriots.

Dillon's agent, Steve Feldman, said Friday that his client will ask the Patriots for his release and that the team is likely to grant it by March 2, the start of free agency.

Dillon told The Boston Globe that he would probably retire, but Feldman, while acknowledging that retirement is a possibility, said it is unlikely.

Dillon, 32, ran for 812 yards this past season and ranks 14th on the NFL's career rushing list with 11,241 rushing yards.

****
The knee surgery that Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow underwent on Jan. 30 apparently was more extensive than was believed at the time.

According to several reports, Winslow underwent microfracture surgery on his knee. Initially, it was thought he merely was having damaged cartilage repaired and scar tissue cleaned out.

This surgery, instead, apparently was designed to grow new cartilage. Players can take up to a year to recover fully from microfracture surgery and some never get back on the playing field.

****
The Oakland Raiders announced today they are declining to pick up an option in the contract of quarterback Aaron Brooks, making him a free agent.

The move reportedly keeps the team from having to pay Brooks a $5 million bonus.

The Raiders went winless in Brooks's eight starts this past season and he missed time with a strained pectoral muscle. Brooks's departure leaves Andrew Walter as the top quarterback on the club's roster but the Raiders could use the first overall selection in the draft in April on JaMarcus Russell of LSU.


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!

Do you love football? Then tune it to the Football Fanatics Show!

Billick Gets New Deal; Lovie In Limbo

Baltimore Ravens head coach Brian Billick reached a contract extension with the club, according to Baltimore-area media outlets.

The contract, first reported by WBAL in Baltimore, is reportedly a four-year deal that will keep the coach in Charm City until 2010. In January, the Baltimore Sun reported Billick got a one-year, $5.4 million extension.

Last season Billick led the Ravens to a 13-3 regular-season record. Baltimore won the AFC North by five games. Billick also led the Ravens to a victory in Super Bowl XXXV over the New York Giants.

****
Barring what Lovie Smith's agent calls an "unforseen breakthrough," the Chicago Bears coach expects to return for the 2007 season without a new contract.
Smith has one year remaining on his original contract. He was the league's lowest-paid coach at $1.35 million in 2006 and will remain No. 32 on the paylist at $1.45 million in '07.

Smith suspended contract talks shortly before the playoffs when he led the Bears to their first Super Bowl appearance since 1985 after a 13-3 regular season. Negotiations picked up shortly after the Bears lost to the Colts in the championship game, but Bauer said there were significant gaps on the contract terms between management and the coach.

Coaches that have taken their teams to the Super Bowl, even in a losing effort, are making at least $5 million per year, such as Carolina's John Fox.


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!

Do you love football? Then tune it to the Football Fanatics Show!

Larger Cap Means Less in Free Agency

With the salary cap jumping to $109 million (up from $102 mil), plenty of teams have enough cash available to keep their talent away from the free agent waters - by way of the franchise tag or re-signing.

The Rams and Eagles extended contracts to some of their top guns in the regular season, while the offseason has seen extensions given to LB Shaun Phillips (Chargers) and C Andre Gurode (Cowboys). More will follow before March 2 - the opening of free agency.

In addition, franchise tags have been handed out to DE Charles Grant (Saints), DE Dwight Freeney (Colts), CB Asante Samuel (Patriots) and LB Lance Briggs (Bears). The franchise tag probably won't be used anymore this offseason because most teams don't need to use it. The deadline for the tag is tomorrow.

In the early 1990s, when the league began negotiating the basic framework for its collective bargaining agreement, Oakland owner Al Davis blocked progress because he felt that each team should have as many as five franchise markers available to it. Only a decade and a half into the accord, it now seems that one franchise tag is one more than necessary for most clubs.

Among the reasons for the reduction: Most teams simply have become smarter in dealing with the salary cap and more adept at identifying their "nucleus" players and signing them to extensions before their contracts ever come close to expiring.

What all this means is less top-flight talent will be available in the free agency period, and the ones who are, like Eric Steinbach of the Bengals, will be snapped up quickly. Most of the top level free agents will be gone by the first week of free agency. A feeding frenzy by teams will occur.

The benefit of the new CBA agreement and how it's affected free agency is the mid-level players. A young guy like St. Louis WR Kevin Curtis for example. Curtis has been a valuable No. 3 receiver the past two seasons for the Rams.

Curtis is a free agent who wants to be a starter. He has the talent to be a solid No. 2 in the NFL and with all the money that most NFL teams have to re-signed their stars, Curtis will be in high demand come March 2.

What all this means to your favorite team is this: if the franchise has their eye on a particular player in free agency, they better make a move fast or be left out in the cold.


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!

Do you love football? Then tune it to the Football Fanatics Show!

Rivera Unemployed Only One Day

Chicago defensive coordinator Ron Rivera was out of a job, but not for long. Just hours after the Bears announced Monday he wouldn't be retained, the San Diego Chargers gave him a two-year contract to coach their linebackers.

Rivera, who has talked with eight NFL teams about their head coaching positions over the last two seasons, had a three-year contract with the Bears that was set to expire next week.

After it was announced he wouldn't be coming back to the Bears, Rivera vowed he would land another job.

And he did, getting a deal to join new Chargers coach Norv Turner. Rivera had just interviewed for San Diego's head coaching job last weekend.

But the decision by Bears coach Lovie Smith not to keep Rivera came as a surprise to many, especially the timing — a little more than two weeks since the Bears lost the Super Bowl. Rivera said he never started talks on a new contract with Chicago.

Rivera was a linebacker on Chicago's Super Bowl champion team in 1986 and then led a defense that helped the Bears make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. Chicago had trouble containing Indianapolis in the Super Bowl, losing 29-17 to the Peyton Manning-led Indianapolis Colts.

Rivera has been an assistant coach for 10 years in the NFL beginning as a quality control coach with the Bears in 1997. He spent five years with the Philadelphia Eagles as their linebackers coach and the last three in charge of Chicago's defense.

The Bears led the NFL with 44 takeaways in the regular season, but the defense was slowed in the latter stages of the season after injuries to defensive tackle Tommie Harris and safety Mike Brown.


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!

Do you love football? Then tune it to the Football Fanatics Show!

Surprise, Surprise: Rivera Released by Bears

Chicago defensive coordinator Ron Rivera has gone from head coaching candidate to out of a job — a little more than two weeks after Bears were in the Super Bowl.

Rivera, who has talked with eight different NFL teams about their head coaching positions over the last two seasons, had a three-year contract with the Bears that was set to expire next week. The NFC champions announced Monday he will not be back.

Rivera said he wanted to return and was told a few days ago he wouldn't.

Rivera was a linebacker on Chicago's Super Bowl champion team in 1986 and then led a defense that helped the Bears make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. Chicago had trouble containing Indianapolis in the Super Bowl, losing 29-17 to the Peyton Manning-led Indianapolis Colts.

Rivera has been an assistant coach for 10 years in the NFL beginning as a quality control coach with the Bears in 1997. He spent five years with the Philadelphia Eagles as their linebackers coach and then the last three in charge of Chicago's defense.

The Bears led the NFL with 44 takeaways in the regular season, but the defense was slowed in the latter stages of the season after injuries to defensive tackle Tommie Harris and safety Mike Brown.

Rivera was a candidate last season for head coaching jobs in Green Bay and St. Louis. This year he talked with Pittsburgh, Miami, Atlanta and Arizona before the Bears started postseason play. After Chicago lost the Super Bowl, he interviewed for coaching vacancies at Dallas and just a few days ago at San Diego.

Chicago head coach Lovie Smith said he would move quickly to replace Rivera. Linebackers coach Bob Babich is considered a top candidate.

Rivera said there was no conflict with Smith.


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!

Do you love football? Then tune it to the Football Fanatics Show!

Chargers Hire Turner as Head Coach

Norv Turner got his third shot at a top job when he was given a four-year contract Monday to take over a team that went an NFL-best 14-2 before melting down in the playoffs and then in the front office.

The hiring came a week after the surprise firing of Marty Schottenheimer and less than 24 hours after the Chargers finished interviewing the last of six candidates. Turner was the only one with NFL head coaching experience and the only one from the offensive side of the ball.

The Chargers also hired Ted Cottrell as defensive coordinator.

While the immediate reaction by fans was lukewarm, the Chargers pointed to Turner's previous experience and the chance at continuity. Turner was San Diego's offensive coordinator in 2001, when he installed the system that helped carry LaDainian Tomlinson to the league MVP award in 2006.

"This isn't a team where you're rebuilding," said Turner, who had been San Francisco's offensive coordinator. "We should start fast. We should be good early and we should be good late. Not having to go through the normal things you have to go through when you make a coaching change is going to help the players more than anyone."

Turner has done well working with young players, and quarterback Philip Rivers is expected to benefit from his tutelage. Rivers was voted to the Pro Bowl as a first-year starter, but tailed off down the stretch.

Turner also knows general manager A.J. Smith, who was an assistant to the late John Butler in 2001. Smith survived a power struggle with Schottenheimer, who was fired last Monday by team president Dean Spanos, who cited a "dysfunctional situation" between the coach and GM.

Turner said he spoke with a handful of players on Monday morning and they seemed relieved there wouldn't be major changes.

Turner was one of the masterminds behind the Dallas offenses led by Hall of Famers Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin and NFL career rushing leader Emmitt Smith. He was the Cowboys' offensive coordinator for three years, including when they won the Super Bowl after the 1992 and '93 seasons.

While Schottenheimer had trouble winning in the postseason, including going 0-2 in San Diego, Turner had trouble winning in the regular season. He was a combined 58-82-1 in two seasons as coach at Oakland and not quite seven full seasons with Washington.

Turner took over the Redskins in 1994, going 49-59-1 with one trip to the playoffs, which resulted in a 1-1 record. He was fired by Dan Snyder with three games left in the 2000 season, when he could produce only a 7-6 record with a $100 million roster.

After Terry Robiskie coached the last three games in 2000, the Redskins hired Schottenheimer, who went 8-8 in 2001 before being fired by Snyder. Schottenheimer was hired by the Chargers, a job Turner interviewed for. Turner then became Miami's offensive coordinator.

Turner was fired by the Raiders in 2005 after going 9-23 in two seasons.

San Francisco's Mike Nolan quickly hired Turner to take over the NFL's 32nd-ranked offense. He helped Frank Gore become the NFC's leading rusher in a breakout season, and got progress from Alex Smith.


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!

Do you love football? Then tune it to the Football Fanatics Show!

Cowher Hired By CBS

Former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher is returning to the NFL -- as an analyst on CBS' Sunday "The NFL Today" studio show.

Cowher resigned as the Steelers' coach last month following 15 seasons and less than a year after winning the Super Bowl. He plans to spend more time with his family at their new home in Raleigh, N.C., but said working on the CBS show allows him to keep his ties to the league.

CBS is adding Cowher to the show without any of the other analysts leaving -- Dan Marino, Shannon Sharpe and Boomer Esiason will return, as will host James Brown and former NFL general manager Charlie Casserly.

As the NFL's most desirable coaching free agent, Cowher understands he will be subjected to season-long rumors tying him to this job or that job. He has insisted that money wasn't an issue in him leaving the Steelers, but it is believed to have played a major role.

It is likely he could land an offer in the $8 million a year range or more should he want to get back into coaching next year, or about twice as much as he was making in Pittsburgh. He is expected to attract considerable interest because he remains relatively young for an NFL head coach -- he doesn't turn 50 until May.

Once Cowher left the Steelers on Jan. 5, his agents contacted the networks that carry NFL games to gauge their interest in hiring him. Cowher felt it was a natural transition to sign with CBS, which carries AFC games, and he had a tryout of sorts with the network during its Super Bowl telecast on Feb. 4.

Cowher's hiring creates the possibility that he and former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis, who was close to Cowher as a player, will offer differing opinions on different networks.

Bettis works for NBC and on his first telecast last summer said he was convinced Cowher would leave Pittsburgh after the season ended -- a prediction that proved accurate.

Cowher's 161-99-1 record ranked him fourth among active coaches last season in career wins. He won a Super Bowl in February 2006 after six trips to the AFC Championship Game and 10 playoff appearances with the Steelers. They missed the playoffs after going 8-8 in his final season with them.


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!

Do you love football? Then tune it to the Football Fanatics Show!

QB Issues Haunt Teams in Offseason

The most important position on the field is quarterback. It's not a cliche it's truth.

The quarterback is the leader, the man who knows the offense or at least should now the offense, better than anyone.

This offseason several playoff-caliber teams are facing quarterback issues that could profoundly effect their 2007 season.

Chicago

No team lost more because of inconsistent quarterback play than the Bears. A solid running game and defense lifted Chicago to a 13-3 regular season record and a berth in the Super Bowl. On the other side of the coin, it was the on-again, off-again performance of Rex Grossman that cost this team a Super Bowl championship.

The Bears hierarchy will be looking to bring in a solid quarterback to challenge Grossman. Eagles free agent to be, Jeff Garcia, may be that man.

Minnesota

The Vikings offense was dismal last season despite one of the top rushing attacks and defenses in the NFL. To put it bluntly, Minnesota's quarterbacks and wide receivers suck. The Vikings are another player in the suddenly in demand Garcia sweepstakes and even if they don't get him - a QB and a game changing wideout are the the top priorities. The Purple and Gold could be a playoff team provided the quarterback issue is solved.

Minnesota surely knows it cannot win with Brad Johnson, Travaris Jackson or Brooks Bollinger under center. And if the Vikings brass doesn't understand that - fire them instead.

Philadelphia

I know it's odd seeing the Eagles here with Donovan McNabb on the roster, but he's coming off a serious knee injury and was only 5-5 this season even when he was healthy. Garcia came on late and led Philadelphia to a 6-2 record and it's sixth NFC East title in seven years.

Garcia will not be back in an Eagles uniform. Philly fans have to get over it and move on. McNabb makes too much money and would be too much of a cap hit to let go. Garcia proved he still has something left, provided he's in the right system. One thing is certain, he won't re-sign and be a backup to McNabb. He wants to start. Look for Chicago, Tampa Bay and Minnesota to be the front runners.

That leaves A.J. Feeley as the backup and the Eagles believe that he can do the job. If McNabb can't come back in time to start the season, the front office will find out if they made the right decision or not.

Atlanta:

There are many in the Atlanta organization that secretly believe that Michael Vick is not the right man to quarterback the Falcons. Guess what? They're absolutely, 100 percent correct.

Vick is an amazing athlete, that can't be denied, but as a quarterback, he's one of the worst. His run first pass later mentality, terrible completion percentage and a lack of true leadership ability - make him a liability not an asset. The reason Atlanta won't trade or cut him is because of the huge $109 million dollar contract he signed a couple of years ago. If the Falcons get rid of Vick it would cost them a $23 million hit on the cap. Ouch!

Here's the solution - insert Matt Schaub (a better quarterback) in the starting lineup and move Vick to running back. If the Falcons do that, they may start winning again.


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!

Do you love football? Then tune it to the Football Fanatics Show!

Chargers Start Interview Process

The San Diego Chargers are beginning the search for possible replacements for fired coach Marty Schottenheimer.

San Francisco 49ers linebackers coach Mike Singletary is to be the first candidate to interview for the San Diego Chargers' head coaching job.

He's scheduled to meet with Chargers officials early today.

Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera also is to be in San Diego today to interview for the job.

The Chargers reportedly have requested permission to interview 49ers offensive coordinator Norv Turner, Seattle Seahawks defensive backs coach Jim Mora and defensive coordinators Rex Ryan of the Baltimore Ravens and Mike Zimmer of the Atlanta Falcons as well. Their list also is said to include New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs.

San Diego is also interested in USC coach Pete Carroll, but he is staying mum on the whole subject. Carroll has spurned NFL overtures in recent years to stay with the Trojans. Many NFL insiders believe that with the talent on the San Diego roster (15 current or former All-Pros) that the Chargers can make a serious run at Carroll.


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!

Do you love football? Then tune it to the Football Fanatics Show!

Schottenheimer Fired; Arrington Cut

The San Diego Chargers fired Marty Schottenheimer as their coach last night, only weeks after losing in the second round of the AFC playoffs but then announcing that they would retain Schottenheimer.

Club president Dean Spanos announced the decision and cited the ongoing feud between Schottenheimer and General Manager A.J. Smith, as well as the recent defections from Schottenheimer's coaching staff.

"The process of dealing with these coaching changes convinced me that we simply could not move forward with such dysfunction between our head coach and general manager," Spanos said in a written statement released by the team. "In short, this entire process over the last month convinced me beyond any doubt that I had to act to change this untenable situation."

The Chargers lost both their coordinators to head coaching jobs, with offensive coordinator Cam Cameron being hired by the Miami Dolphins and defensive boss Wade Phillips by the Dallas Cowboys. Tight ends coach Rob Chudzinski left to become the offensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns and linebackers coach Greg Manusky was hired as the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers.

Schottenheimer and Smith barely were on speaking terms at times. The Chargers had a league-best record of 14-2 during the regular season but lost an AFC semifinal at home to the New England Patriots, dropping Schottenheimer's career postseason record to 5-13.

The Chargers announced soon thereafter that they were retaining Schottenheimer but he had rejected an offer for a one-year, $4.5 million contract extension through the 2008 season with a $1 million buyout if he was fired.

****
The New York Giants released linebacker LaVar Arrington and two other starters in the first major shakeup under new general manager Jerry Reese.

New York also cut linebacker Carlos Emmons and offensive tackle Luke Petitgout, both of whom were slowed by injuries over the last two seasons.

The release of Arrington ended a brief and unsatisfying tenure with the Giants for the former Pro Bowler, who was signed last year for $49 million over seven years but suffered an Achilles' injury against Dallas on Oct. 23 and played in only six games.

****
Recently retired Tiki Barber will work for NBC next year after spending most of the 2006 NFL season entertaining bids from various networks for jobs in both news and sports.

Barber will work both on the "Today" show and on the network's Sunday night football show. It is unlikely he would be in the broadcast booth with the longtime team of Al Michaels and John Madden.


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!

Do you love football? Then tune it to the Football Fanatics Show!

Reid Takes Leave of Absence

Eagles coach Andy Reid will leave the team for a month to deal with family issues, a decision that comes less than two weeks after two sons got into separate legal trouble on the same day.

The team said the leave of absence will last until mid-March.

"He's not going to come into the office, but he will be available for calls and to collaborate and he will be here if we have free agents in for a visit," Eagles president Joe Banner said Monday. "He will retain final say over whatever we do."

Reid, who is also the team's head of football operations, will miss the NFL scouting combine and the start of free agency. Teams may begin voluntary offseason workouts March 19. Reid plans to attend the NFL owners' meetings in Arizona in late March, and will be back for the NFL draft April 28-29.

The Eagles have 11 unrestricted free agents, notably wide receiver Donte' Stallworth and backup quarterback Jeff Garcia.

"Before any of this happened, we had finalized our own plans on our free agents and we had put together our preliminary plans on players we would be interested in," Banner said.

General manager Tom Heckert and the team's assistant coaches will handle the interviewing of players at the scouting combine in Indianapolis, though Reid might be able to meet with some players at another time.

Garrett Reid, 23, tested positive for heroin after he caused a traffic accident Jan. 30, police said. No charges have been filed, but prosecutors are looking at the case. Police have said he could be charged with driving under the influence of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor.

Britt Reid, 21, was arraigned on drug and weapons charges. He is accused of pointing a handgun at another driver following a dispute and faces a felony charge of carrying a firearm without a license as well as misdemeanor charges of lying to authorities, simple assault, making terroristic threats and possession of a controlled substance.

Andy Reid has led the Eagles to the playoffs six times, including four trips to the NFC Championship Game and one Super Bowl, in eight seasons as head coach. He's dealt with several challenges the past two seasons from the Terrell Owens' soap opera and a series of key injuries in 2005 to losing five-time Pro Bowl quarterback Donovan McNabb in Week 11 this past season.

Despite McNabb's injury, the Eagles won their final five games behind Garcia, finished 10-6 to capture their fifth NFC East title in six years and reached the second round of the playoffs. Many considered it Reid's best coaching job in Philadelphia. Players credited his steady approach for helping them overcome a difficult midseason stretch and the injuries to McNabb and star defensive end Jevon Kearse.


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!

Do you love football? Then tune it to the Football Fanatics Show!

The Football Fanatics Show: 19

The Football Fanatics Show is a podcast for college and pro football fans featuring hard-hitting commentary with a tell-it-like-it-is attitude. Hell, we may even offend some people. The show features myself, Rich 'Richie' Hagan and Damon Freed chatting about pro and college football.

Each week will preview the upcoming games and look back at the week before. We'll also be giving away some prizes and freebie stuff in future shows. So stop on in and check us out. The show will be on every Thursday during the football season and twice a month during the offseason.

This week the Fanatics discuss the aftermath of Super Bowl XLI and predict who could be in the big game next season.

You can listen to the show in streaming media here.

Or you can download the podcast to your hard drive here. This is a big file so please be patient.


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!

It's Official: Cowboys Name Phillips Head Coach

Wade Phillips was hired Thursday as coach of the Dallas Cowboys, giving the team an experienced replacement for the retired Bill Parcells.

Maybe more significantly for owner Jerry Jones was getting a coach who can win now. The Cowboys haven't won a postseason game in 10 seasons, the longest drought in the history of a team with five Super Bowl titles.

"This team is best served now, next week, next month and next season by an NFL head coach with experience, that knows the game, that candidly knows the personnel that are playing the game right now," Jones said.

Phillips, 59, defensive coordinator at San Diego the past three seasons, has a 48-42 head-coaching record over three seasons with Buffalo, two with Denver and season-ending interim stints with New Orleans and Atlanta.

Jones interviewed 10 candidates before hiring his sixth coach since buying the team in 1989. Tom Landry is the franchise's only other coach.

****
Chicago Bears defensive lineman Tank Johnson pleaded guilty in Skokie, Ill., to violating probation in a 2005 gun case with his Dec. 14 arrest on misdemeanor weapons charges. Sentencing is set for March 15.

Meanwhile, the Bears shook up their coaching staff, saying defensive line coach Don Johnson and assistant offensive line coach Harold Goodwin wouldn't return and that another assistant, offensive quality control coach Mike Bajakian, has left to become offensive coordinator at Central Michigan.

****
Leslie Frazier left the Indianapolis Colts to become defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings.

Frazier was a special assistant to Colts Coach Tony Dungy and also was in charge of the team's defensive backs.

At Minnesota, he replaces Mike Tomlin, who became the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

****
Tom Rathman, a two-time Super Bowl champion as a player with the San Francisco 49ers, was hired as the Oakland Raiders' running backs coach. He has been an assistant for nine seasons with San Francisco and the Detroit Lions.

Cleveland Browns Coach Romeo Crennel completed his staff shakeup, naming Umberto Leone defensive quality control coach, Mike Sullivan assistant offensive line coach and Frank Verducci offensive assistant


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!

Do you love football? Then tune it to the Football Fanatics Show!

Phillips Set to Be New Cowboys Coach

Wade Phillips appeared set to become the coach of the Dallas Cowboys, according to several reports.

Despite a Cowboys spokesman saying Thursday the job hadn't been filled, there were several reports that Phillips was to succeed Bill Parcells, who retired Jan. 22.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones arrived at Valley Ranch on Thursday morning. While getting out of his car at a back entrance to the complex, he told KTVT-TV of Dallas that he hadn't offered the job to anyone.

But the Dallas Morning News, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported on their Web sites, as did ESPN.com and NFL.com, that Phillips had been selected as the next coach. All cited unidentified sources.

Jones has interviewed 10 candidates to become the Cowboys' seventh coach, the sixth he will hire since buying the team in 1989.

If Phillips becomes the Cowboys coach, the son of longtime Houston Oilers coach Bum Phillips would join Tom Landry and Jimmy Johnson as the only Texas natives to be in charge of "America's Team." Parcells is the only other coach who had previous head coaching experience before getting to Dallas.

The 59-year-old Phillips, who has been in the NFL 30 of the last 31 years, spent the last three seasons as San Diego's defensive coordinator. The Chargers last month lost offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, who became the Miami Dolphins' new coach.

Phillips' head coaching record is 48-42 over three years with Buffalo, two with Denver and season-ending interim stints with New Orleans and Atlanta. That includes 3-4 as a fill-in and 0-3 in the playoffs, most notably the "Music City Miracle," when Tennessee used a trick kick return for the winning touchdown in the closing seconds.

The last candidates interviewed by Jones were two Super Bowl assistants, Indianapolis assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell on Wednesday and Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera a day earlier.

San Francisco assistant Norv Turner, a two-time head coach and the offensive coordinator for two of the Cowboys' Super Bowl titles in the 1990s, had been viewed by many as the front-runner for the job.

Jones also interviewed New Orleans defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs, 49ers assistant and Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary and three of Parcells' assistants.


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!

Do you love football? Then tune it to the Football Fanatics Show!

Rivera, Caldwell Latest Dallas Coaching Candidates

Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera finally arrived at Cowboys headquarters around 4 p.m. Tuesday. He spoke with reporters before meeting with team owner Jerry Jones to discuss the head coaching vacancy created when Bill Parcells retired more than two weeks ago.

Rivera didn't officially become a candidate until speaking with Jones for a few minutes Monday night. However, he'd been expecting the call since Jones decided to hold the job open through Super Bowl week, when Rivera was off-limits because he was getting his team ready for the game.

Rivera was the ninth person Jones interviewed. Indianapolis quarterbacks coach Jim Caldwell will become No. 10 on Wednesday.

Dallas went 9-7 this past season, with a loss to Seattle in the first round of the playoffs. The Cowboys, who haven't won a playoff game since 1996, collapsed in December and January primarily because of breakdowns on defense.

Rivera, 45, played nine seasons in the NFL and has been a coach for 10, the last three as defensive coordinator of the Bears. Although he's never been a head coach, he's interviewed several times this postseason and last offseason.

A big question surrounding this opening is how legitimate a candidate he is for the top job. There's speculation that San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Norv Turner has it locked up, and that Jones wants Rivera as defensive coordinator.

Rivera was a linebacker for the Bears from 1984-92, winning a championship with the '85 team that had Buddy Ryan as the defensive coordinator.

After retiring, he spent four years talking football on television, then broke into coaching with the Bears in 1997. He was linebackers coach for the Philadelphia Eagles under Jim Johnson from 1999-2003, then returned to Chicago as defensive coordinator when Lovie Smith took over.

Rivera credits Ryan, Johnson and Smith for helping form his approach to defense. The result has helped his Bears consistently rank among the league leaders in fewest yards and points allowed, and near the top in turnovers.

As for his offensive approach, it's pretty simple: "I do think you have to run the ball to be successful in this league."


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!

Do you love football? Then tune it to the Football Fanatics Show!

Thoughts on Super Bowl XLI

Just some opinions and thoughts I wanted to share about the Super Bowl and all that transpired in the big game.

First, the MVP shouldn't have gone to Peyton Manning. He was alright but hardly worthy of the award. Joseph Addai was very good - over 70 yards rushing and 10 receptions, but I wouldn't have selected him either.

No the true MVP of the game was the offensive line of the Indianapolis Colts. Jeff Saturday, Ryan Lilja, Jake Scott, Ryan Diem and Tarik Glenn blew the vaunted Bears defensive line right off the ball - allowing Addai and Domenic Rhodes to rush for 191 yards in the game.

They also kept Chicago off of Manning, allowing him the time to make his reads and deliver passes to multiple targets.

The offense piled up 430 yards and the reason for it was the play of the offensive line - the true MVPs of the game.

****
What happened to Chicago's defense? The Colts had 430 yards of total offense, including 191 on the ground.

Chicago has won 26 games over the past two seasons because of an aggressive defense that pressures quarterbacks and smothers running backs in their tracks.

So why did Ron Rivera and Lovie Smith neuter them?

The Bears defense stayed back in a Cover 2 for most of the game and let Manning pick them apart with short passes to Addai and Marvin Harrison. The only long pass the Colts had that was successful was the Reggie Wayne TD pass that happened because of blown coverage.

Why go away from what made you successful all year? The Bears attack, they don't play back. You have to turn lose guys like Mark Anderson, Adewale Ogunleye, Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher. They can't be made to set back and play timid.

It seems Rivera was so worried about being beat long that he sacrificed his teams strength - aggressiveness - to play conservative and avoid being beat by the big play. Bad move on his part.

****
Chicago will have to address the Rex Grossman issue in the offseason. The good news is he led the Bears to the Super Bowl in what was basically his rookie season. injuries kept him from playing much early in his career.

The bad news is the horrendous inconsistency which plagued him most of the season. When he was good, he was real good. When he was bad, it was ugly to watch.

Grossman's confidence was shaky in the Super Bowl and you could see it on his face from the start. He threw lazy, off-target passes and turned the ball over three times, including a back-breaking fumble right after the Colts had given the Bears a gift with a fumble of their own.

Chicago must bring in someone, Brian Griese isn't the answer, that will press Grossman for the starting job. Maybe some real competition will bring out the best in him. Either way, it's to the Bears' advantage to have somebody waiting in the wings in case of injuries or inconsistent play - just ask the Philadelphia Eagles where they would have been this season without Jeff Garcia.


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!

Do you love football? Then tune it to the Football Fanatics Show!

Colts Cage Bears for Super Bowl Win

The Indianapolis Colts are celebrating their franchise's first Super Bowl title in 36 years after their overpowering performance in a 29-17 victory over the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI last night.

Super Bowl MVP Peyton Manning ran an effective ball-control offense featuring short passes mixed in with a strong running game. It's the first title for the 30-year-old Manning, who completed 25 of 38 for 247 yards and one touchdown and one early interception.

Running backs Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes were a great complement. Addai caught ten passes and ran 19 times for 77 yards. Rhodes finished it off by rushing 21 times for 113 yards and one TD.

Tony Dungy, the first black coach to win a Super Bowl, says now he has "to figure out a way to defend our Super Bowl. That's number-one on our list."

It's the first Super Bowl title for the Colts franchise since they won Super Bowl V in 1971 when the team was based in Baltimore.

Dungy became the first black coach to win the championship, beating good friend and protege Lovie Smith in a game that featured the first two black coaches in the Super Bowl.

Dungy's ring wasn't the only first. It also was the first rainy Super Bowl and the first time an opening kickoff was run back for a touchdown, when sensational Bears rookie Devin Hester sped downfield for 92 yards.

And not since the Buffalo Bills self-destructed with nine turnovers in losing to Dallas 14 years ago had there been so much messiness. The first half was marred by six turnovers, three for each team. Even football's most clutch kicker, Adam Vinatieri, missed a chip-shot field goal for the Colts, who botched an extra point attempt, too.

When much-maligned Bears quarterback Rex Grossman's wobbly pass was picked off and returned 56 yards for a touchdown by Kelvin Hayden with 11:44 remaining in the fourth quarter, it was over.

Chicago (15-4), which led the league in takeaways this season, finished with five turnovers, including two interceptions by Grossman.

The Colts (16-4) will take it. It's their first title since the 1970 season, when they played in Baltimore.

It also was a validation of Dungy's leadership. He helped build Tampa Bay, one of the NFL's worst franchises, into a contender before being fired after the 2001 season. The next year, the Bucs won the Super Bowl under Jon Gruden.

Sunday finally was Dungy's turn. As his players hoisted their coach on their shoulders, he switched his blue Colts cap for a white one that read "NFL champions." Dungy was carried from the sideline, then was lowered so he could share a long embrace and a handshake with Smith.

The Colts reached the pinnacle by winning four postseason games with a defense that made a complete turnaround in the playoffs.

And with a running game that perfectly complemented Manning, thanks to Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai, who combined for 190 yards — 113 on 21 carries by Rhodes and 77 on 19 carries by Addai, who also caught 10 passes for 66 yards.


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!

Do you love football? Then tune it to the Football Fanatics Show!

Game Day: Super Bowl XLI

There's always so much hype and over-analyzing leading up to the Super Bowl that I wish they wouldn't have an extra week off.

In order to keep my sanity, I distanced myself from most of the stories and features being spit out on an almost hourly basis and I consciously made the decision not to write anything about the Super Bowl until the day of the game.

Now that the big game is upon us, I will venture forth with my humble preview and tell you who will walk away with the biggest prize in professional sports.

Offense: The Indianapolis Colts have strong offensive leadership in QB Payton Manning, WR Marvin Harrison and an experienced, solid offensive line led by LT Tarik Glenn. Throw in TE Dallas Clark, WR Reggie Wayne and the two-headed rushing attack of rookie Joseph Addai and Domenic Rhodes and you have a potent offense. Just witness the comeback in the AFC title game against the Patriots if you need proof. The Chicago Bears have their own two-headed monster in the form of Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson. The O-line is a strength, thanks to veterans Reuben Brown, Fred Miller and All-Pro center Olin Kreutz. The problem for the Bears comes at the quarterback position where Rex Grossman has been inconsistent all season. When he's on, he's been superb. When he's off - it's ugly as can be.
Advantage: Colts

Defense: Ron Rivera, who may be gone after the Super Bowl to become head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, is the architect of a Chicago defense that's been one of the best in the league the past three seasons. Led by All-Pro linebackers Bryan Urlacher and Lance Briggs, the front seven is as good as any in the league. The loss of DT Tommie Harris and S Mike Brown caused the Bears defense to slip a little, especially during the tail end of the season, but the unit rebounded against New Orleans in the championship game. Indy has gone in the opposite direction from where it began the year. After a horrible regular season that saw the Colts finish last in rush defense, Indianapolis has emerged in the playoffs and are playing its best D of the season. Bob Sanders is a load at strong safety and Dwight Freeney could be a key factor if he can get to Grossman and pressure him to make mistakes.
Advantage: Bears

Kicking: Robbie Gould had a great year in 2006, but the kicking advantage definitely goes to the Colts and Adam Vinatieri, the best postseason kicker in NFL history. The man has won two Super Bowls for heaven's sake! He was brought in to do what Mike Vanderjagt failed to do in the past - win games in the playoffs. Vinatieri has more than fit the bill for the Colts.
Advantage: Colts

Special Teams: Rookie Devin Hester set the NFL record with six returns for touchdowns this season. He's a threat to break it loose every time he touches the ball. Hunter Smith and Brad Maynard are excellent punters, but Hester is the X-factor in this game. If he gets loose, it's lights out.
Advantage: Bears

Coaching: Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy are the first black head coaches to take teams to the Super Bowl. It's only fitting they are first because both are very similar in coaching style and personality. Both have a strong work ethic, have low-key personalities, and are master motivators and teachers. Neither will have the advantage because they are cut from the same cloth when it comes to football philosophy. Remember, Lovie was linebackers coach at Tampa Bay when Dungy was head coach.
Advantage: Even

Outlook:As always, the Super Bowl will come down to the team that can execute the best on third down and make the fewest mistakes. Turnovers almost always decide the Super Bowl and this year should be no different. The difference maker will be Manning. If the Colts can't run the ball, they still have the best signal caller in the league to guide them. If the Bears running game is silenced and Grossman has to put the team on his shoulders, can he carry them to victory? I don't think so.

Winner: The Colts, 28-17.


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!

Do you love football? Then tune it to the Football Fanatics Show!

Six Elected to Hall of Fame

The 2007 NFL Hall of Fame class was announced today and six new members join an elite group of individuals.

Michael Irvin, Thurman Thomas, Bruce Matthews, Roger Wherli, Charlie Sanders and Gene Nickerson were selected from among 17 finalists by the 40-member media panel.

NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue and WR Art Monk were the biggest notables who failed to make the final cut. Tagliabue was considered a sure thing after stepping down as NFL chief after 18 years at the helm, but the legacy he left wasn't enough to impress the voters.

Also failing to get enough votes were Derrick Thomas, Andre Reed, Richard Dent, Bob Kuechenberg, Fred Dean, Ray Guy, Russ Grimm, Andre Tippett and Gary Zimmerman.

Irvin finished his career with 750 receptions for 11,904 yards and 65 touchdowns. He was selected to five straight Pro Bowls and picked for the NFL's all-decade team of the 1990s.

Thomas was the league's most valuable player in 1991, when he gained more than 2,000 yards from scrimmage. When he retired in 2,000, he ranked sixth all-time in career yards from scrimmage (16,532), with 12,074 yards rushing. Only Emmitt Smith and Barry Sanders ran for more yards in the 1990s.

Matthews, the only player in his first year of eligibility, spent 19 seasons with the Oilers/Titans franchise, playing more games than any positional player in NFL history when he retired in 2001. He did it as a guard, tackle and center. Matthews never missed a game because of injury.

Wehrli was a five-time All-Pro cornerback who played 14 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, starting as a rookie in 1969. He once intercepted three passes by Roger Staubach in a win over Dallas and made the league's 1970s all-decade squad.

Sanders spent a decade with the Lions and made seven Pro Bowls. Hickerson played 15 seasons for the Browns as the lead blocker for three Hall of Famers -- Jim Brown, Leroy Kelly, Bobby Mitchell -- and has been eligible for 29 years.

Inductions will be Aug. 4-5 in Canton, Ohio. The Steelers and Saints will play in the annual Hall of Fame game.


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!

Do you love football? Then tune it to the Football Fanatics Show!

Favre to Return for 17th Season

Brett Favre is back.

Packers general manager Ted Thompson said the three-time MVP called him to say he was "going to give it another shot" and return for his 17th NFL season -- thus bringing his now-annual flirtation with retirement to an end far earlier than he had in the previous two offseasons.

"I am so excited about coming back," the 37-year-old quarterback said Friday on the Web site of the Sun Herald in Biloxi, Miss. "We have a good nucleus of young players. We were 8-8 last year, and that's encouraging."

It had been shaping up as a rough offseason for Packers fans. Favre led many to believe he intended to retire when he became emotional during a television interview after the Packers beat the Chicago Bears in the regular-season finale -- and then the rival Bears marched through the playoffs to earn a spot in Sunday's Super Bowl.

Favre has started 257 consecutive games including the playoffs, an NFL record for quarterbacks. Favre broke Dan Marino's record for career completions (4,967) in 2006 and is closing in on Marino's marks for career touchdown passes (420) and yards passing (61,361).

As he has done in the past several offseasons, Favre returned to his home in Mississippi after the season to deliberate about his future. Last year, Favre waited until late April to tell the team he was returning.

Favre's accomplishments include three league MVP awards -- he shared 1997 honors with Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders -- and throwing two touchdown passes in a 35-21 victory over New England in the 1997 Super Bowl to give the Packers their first championship in 29 years. Earlier in that championship season, Favre spent time in the Menninger Clinic in Topeka, Kan., battling an addiction to painkillers.

Favre led the Packers back to the Super Bowl the following season, but they lost to John Elway's Denver Broncos 31-24.


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!

Do you love football? Then tune it to the Football Fanatics Show!

Johnson Says Belichick Ignored Doctor's Advice

Former New England Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson said coach Bill Belichick subjected him to hard hits in practice while he was recovering from a concussion -- against the advice of the team's top trainer.

Johnson, who helped the Patriots win three Super Bowl titles before retiring two years ago, told The New York Times that a collision with another player during that 2002 practice led to another concussion. And, after sustaining additional concussions over the next three seasons, he now forgets people's names, misses appointments and suffers from depression and an addiction to amphetamines.

"There's something wrong with me," the 34-year-old Johnson told the Times in a story posted on its Web site Thursday night. "There's something wrong with my brain. And I know when it started."

Johnson, who played 10 years in the NFL, said he began to deteriorate in August 2002 with a concussion during an exhibition game against the New York Giants. He sustained another concussion four days later after Belichick prodded him to participate in a full-contact practice, even though he was supposed to be avoiding hits, Johnson said.

The next month, with their relationship already strained, Johnson confronted Belichick about the practice after the coach asked him to meet in his office.

"I told him, 'You played God with my health. You knew I shouldn't have been cleared to play,"' Johnson told the Globe.

Belichick told the Globe he got no cue from Johnson in practice that day that he was hesitant about participating in the full-contact drill.

"If Ted felt so strongly that he didn't feel he was ready to practice with us, he should have told me," Belichick said.

The Patriots did not allow Jim Whalen, still their head trainer, to comment for this story, according to the Globe.

After returning to game action, the linebacker sustained more concussions of varying severity over the following three seasons, each of them exacerbating the next, according to his current neurologist, Dr. Robert Cantu.

Cantu told the Times he was certain that Johnson's problems "are related to his previous head injuries, as they are all rather classic postconcussion symptoms."

He added, "They are most likely permanent."

Cantu, the chief of neurosurgery and director of sports medicine at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Mass., also said Johnson shows signs of early Alzheimer's disease.

"The majority of those symptoms relentlessly progress over time," Cantu said. "It could be that at the time he's in his 50s, he could have severe Alzheimer's symptoms."

Johnson told the Globe he estimates he had at least six concussions in his last three seasons, but reported only one because he already had a reputation as an injury-prone player and he didn't want to make it worse.


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!

Do you love football? Then tune it to the Football Fanatics Show!

The Football Fanatics Show: Super Bowl Special

The Football Fanatics Show is a podcast for college and pro football fans featuring hard-hitting commentary with a tell-it-like-it-is attitude. Hell, we may even offend some people. The show features myself, Rich 'Richie' Hagan and Damon Freed chatting about pro and college football.

Each week will preview the upcoming games and look back at the week before. We'll also be giving away some prizes and freebie stuff in future shows. So stop on in and check us out. The show will be on every Thursday during the football season and twice a month during the offseason.

This week the Fanatics discuss Super Bowl XLI and predict who will come out on top - the Colts or the Bears.

You can listen to the show in streaming media here.

Or you can download the podcast to your hard drive here. This is a big file so please be patient.


Check out the most complete guide to coaching youth football ever created!