Sources: Browns' Quinn to miss rest of season with broken finger
Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn will, according to sources, miss the rest of the season because of a broken right index finger on his throwing hand.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer, citing a source, reported that Quinn might need surgery to repair the tendon on the last joint of the finger.
Quinn originally broke the tip of the finger on the helmet of a Buffalo player on Nov. 17.
ESPN reported that the team said Quinn won't participate in football activities for at least 6 weeks. The Plain Dealer reported that Quinn will decide today whether to have surgery.
Quinn was examined by orthopedist Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., yesterday. Andrews discovered that the break had worsened.
"Brady wanted to play," a source told the Plain Dealer. "Nobody had any idea what would happen if he'd just gone out and played with it. Doctors viewed it before then and thought he was OK to play."
Derek Anderson, who lost his job to Quinn in Week 10, will return to the starting spot when the Browns host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.
In another matter, Cleveland owner Randy Lerner said he will wait until January before deciding on the future of coach Romeo Crennel and general manager Phil Savage. The Browns (4-7) are just 24-35 since their arrival and have yet to make the postseason.
Noteworthy
* Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick pleaded guilty to a state dogfighting charge in a hearing in Sussex, Va., a move that could make him eligible to leave prison early and potentially speed up a return to the NFL.
The one-time Atlanta star also pleaded not guilty to a count of cruelty to animals, but that charge was dropped under his plea deal. He received a 3-year suspended sentence - far less than the maximum of 10 years he could have faced.
Vick is scheduled for release on July 20, 2009, and will serve 3 years of probation. His latest plea is important, because it resolves the remaining charges against him, which is required under federal law if he is to move into a halfway house.
Vick also has been suspended by the NFL and would need commissioner Roger Goodell's approval before rejoining the league.
Atlanta still has Vick under contract, but has made it clear that he will not play for the Falcons again.
In a recent report conducted by the Associated Press, several teams expressed a willingness to consider the possibility of acquiring Vick.
* Former MVP Shaun Alexander was released by Washington after getting only 11 carries in five games. Alexander was signed Oct. 14 after backup Ladell Betts sprained his knee in a loss to the St. Louis Rams. Betts has since returned.
* Dallas receiver Terrell Owens insisted there was nothing special about his latest outing, even if his 213 yards receiving were more than his previous five games combined, his most in 8 years and the second-most of his career.
In fact, he said he hasn't even watched the highlights.
"For what?" he said. "It was nothing I ain't done before. I had 283 one time. I'm telling you, I'm still not satisfied."
* Houston placed running back Ahman Green on season-ending injured reserve. Green hurt his left knee against Cleveland on Sunday.
* Seattle running back Julius Jones will start on the road against Dallas tomorrow, 4 days after being benched. Coach Mike Holmgren says he expects Jones to be motivated to play against his former team. Jones was dumped by Dallas last season before he became a free agent.
* Atlanta wide receiver Michael Jenkins and defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux received multiyear contract extensions. Jenkins, a first-round pick in 2004, was given a 4-year extension. Babineaux, a second-round pick in 2005, was given a 5-year extension.
* Bruce Smith, the NFL's career sack leader, and versatile defensive back Rod Woodson are among the four first-time eligibles who made the list of 25 semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The other two are tight end Shannon Sharpe and defensive end John Randle, on a list that will be reduced to 15 before the final vote on Jan. 31 in Tampa, Fla., the day before the Super Bowl. There will be 17 finalists in all, including senior nominees Claude Humphrey, a former Eagle, and Bob Hayes, and from that 17, four to seven new Hall of Fame members will be chosen. *
