Eagles quarterback Michael Vick
practiced Wednesday and said there was a “100 percent” chance he would
start when Philadelphia (1-2) hosts San Francisco (2-1) this weekend.
Vick was initially told he had a broken right hand after getting hurt in
a 29-16 loss to the Giants. But tests on Monday revealed he had only a
contusion.
“Even if it was broke, I think I would have probably padded it up and
went back out there,” Vick, who throws left-handed, said after a morning
walkthrough. “You got to take precaution, but this is what I love to
do.”
Coach Andy Reid said he wanted to make sure Vick could take snaps without problems before naming him the starter.
HALL OF FAME NOMINEES The retired coaches Bill Cowher,
Bill Parcells and Marty Schottenheimer are among the modern-era
candidates for the 2012 class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Cowher
is eligible for the first time, as are the players Keyshawn Johnson,
Tiki Barber, Drew Bledsoe, Stephen Davis, Rod Smith, Will Shields, Troy
Vincent and Mike Vanderjagt.
BOOK: PAYTON ABUSED DRUGS According to a new book, the
Chicago Bears star Walter Payton abused painkillers in retirement and
became suicidal. In “Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton,”
the author Jeff Pearlman writes that Payton, a Hall of Fame running
back, used a cocktail of Tylenol and Vicodin in retirement, kept tanks
of nitrous oxide in his garage and even obtained Ritalin
from a friend whose son was prescribed the pills. Payton’s longtime
agent, Bud Holmes, is quoted as saying, “Walter was pounding his body
with medication.” Payton spent all 13 seasons with the Bears and retired
as the N.F.L.’s all-time leading rusher after the 1987 season. He died
from a rare liver disease and bile duct cancer in 1999.
COLTS LOSE TWO DEFENDERS Already playing without Peyton
Manning, the Colts have lost linebacker Gary Brackett, their defensive
signal-caller, and starting safety Melvin Bullitt for the rest of the
season. Both were placed on injured reserve with shoulder injuries
Wednesday. It is another big blow to the reeling Colts, who are 0-3 for
the first time since 1998. Indianapolis visits Tampa Bay on Monday night
facing the prospect of its first four-game losing streak in 10 years.
AROUND THE LEAGUE Safety Bob Sanders, who has missed
more games than he has played since coming into the N.F.L. in 2004, was
put on season-ending injured reserve by the Chargers because of a knee
injury. ... The Titans placed receiver Kenny Britt on injured reserve
because of torn knee ligaments and signed Donnie Avery. ... Saints Coach
Sean Payton said receiver Marques Colston had been cleared to practice
and would play Sunday at Jacksonville.
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