Alan Faneca Retires

By Justin Worsley,

Rather than face the uncertain future of the upcoming NFL season, Arizona Cardinals guard Alan Faneca has called it a career.

Faneca, 34, announced his retirement on Tuesday, putting an end to a career of one of the league's premier blockers.

Faneca spent most of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who drafted him in the first round of the 1998 draft out of LSU. Faneca spent 11 years with Pittsburgh before signing with the New York Jets in 2009 and Arizona in 2010.

Faneca was name to nine consecutive Pro-Bowls between 2001-09, the second-longest streak in the NFL at the time, behind only Baltimore's Ray Lewis. In 2010, Faneca was named to the NFL's 2000s All-Decade Team.

Faneca ends his career playing 144 consecutive games and won two Super Bowls with the Steelers.

Mario Williams to Convert to OLB

By Justin Worsley,

Houston Texans defensive end Mario Williams will play outside linebacker next season under new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips' 3-4 scheme.

Williams, the first overall pick by Houston in the 2006 draft, has 48 career sacks and has been a cornerstone on the Texans defense.

Phillips was hired in December after Houston fired former coordinator Frank Bush. Houston was picked by many to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Instead, the Texans finished 30th in the league in yards allowed and ended the season with a 6-10 record.

Injuries also took their toll on defense. Williams missed three game and linebacker DeMeco Ryans missed the final ten games of the season. Brian Cushing was also suspended the first four games of the year after testing positive for a banned substance. The three combined players have made five Pro Bowl appearances and are all 26 or younger.

Phillips compared Williams to Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware, whom he coached last season.

The Houston Chronicle first reported this story.

Peyton Hillis to be on the Cover of Madden 2012

By Justin Worsley,

Thirteen months ago, an unknown Peyton Hillis was traded from the Denver Broncos to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for quarterback Brady Quinn.

Quinn went on to be the Broncos third-string quarterback while Hillis went on to take the NFL by storm.

After a breakout season in which Hillis rushed for 1,177 yards and 13 total touchdowns, Hillis has been named the cover-boy for EA Sports videogame Madden 12.

Fans voted for the next person to grace the cover on ESPN.com. All 32 NFL teams had a player on their team whom people could vote on, except for the Seattle Seahawks, who were represented by their fans, known as "The 12th Man."

Hillis defeated Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, who was on the cover of Madden 2004, in the final round. Hillis won by a landslide 66-percent of the votes. Over 13 million people voted in the poll, including one million people in the final round.

Hillis, the 10th seed in the bracket, ousted Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers along with Vick on his road to victory.

The Cleveland Browns, who finished 6-10 last season, will become the first team to have a losing record and manage to have a player grace the cover of a Madden videogame. Hillis will become the first running back to be on the cover of the game since Shaun Alexander in Madden 07.

Chad Pennington Tears ACL Playing Basketball

By Justin Worsley,

Free agent quarterback Chad Pennington has torn an anterior cruciate ligament in a pickup game of basketball and will undergo surgery.

According to Pennington's agent, Tom Condon, Pennington will undergo surgery on April 7 and the renowned Dr. James Andrews will perform it. It is not known which knee was injured.

Pennington, 34, has played 11 seasons in the NFL with both the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets. Pennington is one of only two players who has won the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award twice, both times.

After the Jets released Pennington just hours after acquiring Brett Favre in 2008, Pennington signed with the Miami Dolphins and turned around a franchise that went 1-15 the previous year. Miami went 10-6 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2001.

In 2009, however, Pennington re-injured his right shoulder and was forced to undergo surgery for the third time. Backup quarterback Chad Henne took over and was named the starting quarterback in 2010.

Pennington returned to Miami last season after signing a one-year deal to be Henne's backup. He started one game, but left after just two plays and again injured his right shoulder, prompting him to undergo another surgery.

Pennington's 66.0 completion percentage is the highest amongst quarterbacks with at least 1,500 passing attempt in NFL history.

Warrant Issued to Bucs Cornerback

By Justin Worsley,

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Aqib Talib is in legal trouble again as a Dallas-area suburb has issued a warrant for the 25-year-old's arrest for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Talib is being accused, along with his mother, of firing a gun at his sister's boyfriend on March 21. The man was not injured in the incident.

Talib's mother, Okolo, turned herself in on Monday. Police say Talib is expected to turn himself in later this week. According to the Garland Police Department, Talib's bail will be set at $25,000.

A spokesman for the Garland police told Tampa station WDAE (620 am) that detectives met with Talib last week and did not charge him until they finished their investigation. If convicted, Talib faces prison sentence between five to 20 years.

Talib was suspended for the first game of the 2010 season after being arrested following an altercation with a cab driver in 2009.

Though the NFL and the players are in a lock out while the labor situation is resolved, commissioner Roger Gooddell stated last week that all players must still adhere to the league's personal conduct policy and he will discipline players once a collective bargaining agreement is made.

Tiki Barber to Make Comeback

By Justin Worsley,

Former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber has filled papers with the NFL to come out of retirement and attempt a comeback.

Barber last played for the Giants in 2006, a team he has spent his entire career with and is the franchise's all-time leader in rushing yards. Since retiring as a player, Barber has worked as a broadcaster on NBC's "Today" program. The network did not renew his contract last year.

The Giants still hold Barber's rights, however, the team has already stated that they will not retain the 35-year-old. Barber fell out of favor with Giants fans after his critical comments about head coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning's leadership skills. The Giants won the Super Bowl in 2007, their first season without Barber.

Barber's twin brother, Ronde, has spent his entire 14-year career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and will return next season. In his final season, Barber ran for 1,662 and five touchdowns.

A.J. Hawk Re-Joins Green Bay

By Justin Worsley,

The divorce between the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers and linebacker A.J. Hawk last less than 24 hours.

On Wednesday, the Packers released the 27-year-old, who was due $10 million in 2011. Thursday, the two sides agreed to a five-year deal. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Green Bay drafted Hawk with the fifth-overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft and he has been a starter from day one. Last season, Hawk had 111 tackles, the most since his rookie season, along with 0.5 sacks and three interceptions.

Green Bay also released tight end Donald Lee and safety Derrick Martin.

Carson Palmer Wants Out of Cincinnati

By Justin Worsley,

Carson Palmer still wants out of Cincinnati.

Nearly two months after Palmer requested a trade, an unnamed source has said Palmer has not had a change of heart.

"I have $80 million in the bank. I don't have to play football for money. I'll play it for the love of the game but that would have to be elsewhere. I'm prepared to live my life," Palmer allegedly said in a report from WCPO-TV in Cincinnati. Palmer also said he "would never set foot in Paul Brown Stadium again."

Bengals owner Mike Brown declined Palmer's trade request last January, stating that Palmer is crucial to the team's plans.

Palmer, 31, has spent his entire career in Cincinnati, who drafted him first-overall in 2003. Last season, Palmer passed for 3,970 yards with 26 touchdowns and 20 interceptions.

Despite improved numbers by Palmer from the 2009 season, Cincinnati went 4-12 last season and suffered a 10-game losing streak. Cincinnati won the AFC North in 2009 after going 10-6, including 6-0 in the division.

Palmer may not be the only quarterback to leave the team. If Palmer is removed, it seems unlikely that the team would keep backup quarterback Jordan Palmer, Carson's younger brother, on their roster.

Wainwright May Need Tommy John Surgery

By Justin Worsley,

The St. Louis Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright may require Tommy John surgery, according to ESPN.

Wainwright, 29, has left the Cardinals spring training facility in Florida to return to St. Louis in order to have his elbow examined.

The righty went 20-11 last season with a 2.42 ERA and 213 strikeouts. He was named to his first All-Star appearance last year as well.

While Wainwright has been relatively healthy in his career, he has had a history of elbow problems. He missed the final start of last season due to elbow soreness and had several elbow problems in 2004.

The recovery time from Tommy John surgery for a pitcher is between 12-18 months, which means if the surgery is required, Wainwright will miss the 2011 season.

Wainwright has finished in second place for the Cy Young award in both 2009 and 2010.

Colts Release Sanders

By Justin Worsley,

When he was on the field, he was a force of defense, especially when defending the run.

The problem, however, is he was rarely on the field.

The Indianapolis Colts have released safety Bob Sanders on Friday. Sanders played in the season opener last year, but missed the rest of the year after suffering a torn biceps tendon.

In his seven-year career, Sanders has never played a full NFL season and has missed 64 games due to injury.

Sanders, 29, was a key component of the Colts defense in the 2007 postseason. After missing all but four games during the regular season, Sanders showed up healthy in time for the playoffs and helped lead the Colts to a Super Bowl victory.

The following season, Sanders was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year after posting 96 tackles, 3 1/2 sacks and two interceptions in 15 games.

After winning the award, Sanders quickly inked a five-year, $37.5 million contract, but only played in a combined nine games in the next three seasons.

Indianapolis could use the cap room created by releasing Sanders on Peyton Manning, whom the Colts want to make the NFL's highest paid player in league history.

Raiders Make Seymour Highest Paid Defenseman

By Justin Worsley,

The Oakland Raiders and defensive end Richard Seymour have agreed to a two-year extension.

The value of the contract will not be reported until Seymour, 31, signs it, however, sources have told ESPN.com that it will make Seymour the highest paid defensive player in the league. Chicago Bears defensive end Julius Peppers held that title last season after signing with the Bears in free agency.

Seymour was acquired by Oakland in 2009 in a trade with the New England Patriots. In exchange, the Patriots received Oakland's first round pick in the upcoming draft (17th overall.)

When Oakland initially acquired Seymour, he refused to report to the team, claiming the trade "blindsided" him. He did eventually report to the team and has started every game since then.

The Raiders used their franchise tag on Seymour last year, which was worth $12.4 million.

Last season, Seymour was named to his sixth Pro Bowl after posting 48 tackles and 5.5 sacks. He has also been named to the All-Pro team three times in his career.

Titans Hire Munchak as Head Coach

By Justin Worsley,

Twenty years ago, Mike Munchak was terrorizing defensive lineman during his Hall of Fame career as a guard for the Houston Oilers and was a personal favorite player of owner Bud Adams.

Today, Munchak is still a favorite of Adams, but this time it isn't for what he has done on the field.

Adams announced on Monday that Munchak has been promoted from offensive line coach to replace Jeff Fisher as head coach. Munchak will be the first person in franchise history to not only play for the Oilers, but also be their head coach. The Oilers moved from Houston to Tennessee in 1997 and were renamed the Titans.

Munchak was the first candidate interviewed by Adams. Tennessee also had interviews with offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger as well as Atlanta offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey and New York Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who was also a defensive coordinator for Tennessee between 2001-03, declined to interview.

In 2001, Munchak was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Munchak teamed up with tackle Bruce Matthews as one of the best offensive line combinations in league history, blocking for fellow Hall of Famer Earl Campbell and protecting Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon.

Two weeks ago, Tennessee parted ways with Fisher, the longest tenured coach in the league and the only head coach of the team since relocating to Tennessee, after a 6-10 season.

Munchak has worked with the Titans since his retirement in 1993.

Turnovers Costly as Packers Upend Steelers 31-25

By Justin Worsley,

Aaron Rodgers tossed three touchdowns and the Green Bay Packers converted three Pittsburgh Steelers turnovers for touchdowns as Green Bay won their fourth Super Bowl title in franchise history 31-25.

Rodgers was named the Super Bowl MVP, the fourth quarterback to win the award in the last five years, after completing 24 of 39 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns.

The Packers never trailed in the game and took the lead in the first quarter when Rodgers threw to an extended Jordy Nelson for a 29 yard touchdown.

On the next play from scrimmage, Steelers quarterback was hit by Howard Green as he threw, causing a pass intended for Mike Wallace to be underthrown and into the arms of Nick Collins, who returned the pass 37 yards for a touchdown.

Roethlisberger threw another interception in the second quarter when Wallace had the ball swiped from him by Jarrett Bush. The pick help set up a 21 yard touchdown pass by Rodgers to Greg Jennings.

The Steelers, however, would not go down easily. Pittsburgh responded on the next drive with an eight touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Hines Ward, the third time on that drive that those two connected.

Rashard Mendenhall ran off the right tackle for an eight yard touchdown on Pittsburgh's opening drive in the third quarter to cut the Steelers deficit to 21-17.

Mendenhall, however, opened up the fourth quarter with another Pittsburgh turnover when linebacker Clay matthews hit Mendenhall in the arm, causing him to fumble. Mendenhall had lost only two fumbles all year.

Rodgers used a passing attack to spread the Steelers secondary and drive 55 yards on the next drive, ending with Rodgers hooking up yet again with Jennings.

Pittsburgh pulled the game within three when Roethlisberger hit a wide open Wallace for a 25-yard touchdown. Antwaan Randle El took a pitch from Roethlisberger into the end zone for a two-point conversion.

The Steelers found themselves with one last shot after the Packers kicked a field goal to go up by six points with 2:07 left in the game. It was a comfortable feeling for Steelers fans though, as Roethlisberger has 24 career fourth quarter and overtime comebacks, including five this season. Unlike his past success, Roethlisberger failed to complete three consecutive passes, including one to Wallace on fourth down.

Rodgers, 27, helped pull himself out of the shadow of Brett Favre and now has an accolade Favre was never able to obtain, the Super Bowl MVP award. Favre was also 27 when he won his only Super Bowl title.

Nelson also had a game-high nine receptions for 140 yards. Defensive Player of the Year winner Troy Polamalu was held to only three tackles.

Jeff Fisher Out as Titans Coach

By Justin Worsley,

Just when it seemed that the NFL coaching carousel just stopped spinning, an unexpected turn took place.

The Tennessee Titans announced that head coach Jeff Fisher would not return for the final season of his contract.

Fisher, the NFL's longest tenured head coach, was named the interim coach of the then Houston Oilers in 1994 and has since commanded the team. He is the only person to coach the organization since relocating to Tennessee.

The 52-year-old former cornerback is 142-120 in his career. The Titans made their only Super Bowl appearance in franchise history in 1999, a last-second loss to the St. Louis Rams.

Fisher has a 5-6 career postseason record, but the Titans have not won a playoff game since the 2003 season. Tennessee finished this season with a 6-10 record and failed to make the playoffs for the second straight season.

Titans owner Bud Adams announced on Jan. 7 that he would retain Fisher as head coach and instead part ways with quarterback Vince Young, who Adams hand-selected to be their franchise player in the 2006 draft.

Fisher and Young experienced a falling out with one another this season, climaxing when Young stormed out of the locker room after an argument with Fisher and finding himself on the injured reserve list the next day.

Defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil was also fired last week. Offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger was diagnosed with cancer last year and it is uncertain as to whether or not he will still be with the organization next year.

With Fisher's departure, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid is now the longest tenured head coach.

Packers Stop Bears Late Rally, Win 21-14

By Justin Worsley,

Sam Shields picked off a pass by Chicago Bears third-string quarterback Caleb Hanie with :37 seconds left to help the Green Bay Packers beat their division rival 21-14 and advance to the Super Bowl.

Hanie entered the game in the third quarter after both Jay Cutler and Todd Collins left the game with injuries.

Green Bay made a statement in their opening drive with passes of 22, 26 and 22 yards by quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The drive ended with Rodgers running a naked bootleg to the left side of the field to the end zone.

The Packers doubled their lead in the second quarter when James Starks pounded the ball four yards for his first career touchdown.

Chicago's offense was only able to convert one third down on 13 attempts. Brad Maynard also punted nine times, nearly twice as much as he did last week against Seattle.

The Bears, however, would not bow out of this contest easily. Chicago scored on their first possession with Hanie at quarterback early in the fourth quarter off a two-yard run by Chester Taylor to bring the game within one score.

Two drives later, however, Hanie threw an interception to nosetackle B.J. Raji, who ran it back 18 yards for a touchdown.

Chicago struck back quickly. Hanie found a wide open Earl Bennett for a 35-yard touchdown on a drive that only lasted 1:21.

After a three-and-out by Green Bay, Chicago found themselves with the ball on their own 29 with 2:53 left in the game. The Bears drove up to the Packer's 29 yard line until Hanie threw a pass intended for Johnny Knox into the arms of Shields to end the game.

Green Bay will play the winner of the Jets-Steelers game tonight in Super Bowl XLV on Feb. 6 in Dallas.

NOTE: Packers tackle Chad Clifton was injured on the opening drive and did not return.

Jauron Hired as Browns Defensive Coordinator

By Justin Worsley,

The Cleveland Browns have named Philadelphia Eagles defensive backs coach Dick Jauron as their new defensive coordinator.

Jauron, 60, has been a coach in the NFL since 1085, including head coaching stints with the Chicago Bears and the Buffalo Bills. Jauron was also named the interim coach of the Detroit Lions in 2005.

2010 was Jauron's lone season in Philadelphia. In 2001, Jauron was named the Associates Press Coach of the Year after the Bears went 13-3 after a 5-11 campaign in 2000.

Cleveland fired head coach Eric Mangini after consecutive 5-11 seasons. Former defensive coordinator Rob Ryan left the team for the same position with the Dallas Cowboys.

The Browns finished the season 22nd in the league in yards allowed but still managed to be in the top-half of the league in points allowed with 20.8 points per game.

Rams Hire McDaniels as Offensive Coordinator

By Justin Worsley,

The St. Louis Rams announced on Tuesday that Josh McDaniels has been hired as their new offensive coordinator.

McDaniels, who spend the last two seasons as the head coach of the Denver Broncos, also served as the New England Patriots offensive coordinator between 2006-08. In 2007, the Patriots went 16-0 in the regular season and their offense broke several records, including points scored with 589, an eye-popping 36.8 points per game.

McDaniels was also a key component to the development of Matt Cassell, who was forced into action in 2008 after quarterback Tom Brady went down with a torn ACL. Cassell led the Patriots to an 11-5 record, but they missed the playoffs.

The Rams drafted quarterback Sam Bradford with the first-overall pick in last year's draft. McDaniels, who has carried a reputation for developing quarterbacks, will be a key component for the maturation of the presumptive offensive rookie of the year.

St. Louis' offensive coordinator last season, Pat Shurmur, left the team last week to accept the head coaching position in Cleveland.

49ers Hire Harbaugh

By Justin Worsley,

The San Francisco 49ers have hired Jim Harbaugh to be their new head coach.

Harbaugh, who has been the head coach at Stanford since 2007, agreed to a five-year, $25 million deal with the team. It will be his first head coaching job in the NFL.

The 49ers were favored to win the NFC West division this season. San Francisco, however, struggled to take advantage of a division in which all teams had a losing record and finished 6-10. Former head coach Mike Singletary was fired a week before the season ended.

Harbaugh overtook a Stanford program that went 1-11 in 2006. Each season, the team showed improvement and the Cardinal won a team-record 12 games this season.

Several NFL teams were interested in Harbaugh, including Miami and Denver. The Dolphins flew out to California on Wednesday prepared to offer him up to $8 million to coach in South Beach. The team, however, ultimately decided to remain with their current head coach.

Harbaugh's first job as head coach will be to find himself a quarterback. Both of this season's starters, Alex and Troy Smith, are slated to become free agents and the only quarterback under contract is David Carr.

Harbaugh, a former NFL quarterback, knows the importance of having a signal caller and coached Andrew Luck at Stanford, who was projected to be the first-overall pick in this year's draft had he not decided to stay in school this week.

San Francisco has not made the playoffs since 2002.

Dolphins Look Into Harbaugh

By Justin Worsley,

Jim Harbaugh is quickly becoming the hottest commodity in the NFL.

Just a day after the San Francisco 49ers spent over four hours talking to the Stanford head coach about their coaching vacancy, the Miami Dolphins have flown to northern California to also speak to Harbaugh about becoming the Dolphins head coach.

There is one minor problem for Miami. Tony Sporano is yet to be fired as the head coach in Miami.

Regardless, Miami is still doing whatever they can to swoon Harbuagh to south beach. According to reports on ESPN.com, the Dolphins are prepared to make Harbaugh, 47, the highest paid coach in the league with a salary between $7 and $8 million.

The University of Michigan has also tried to hire Harbaugh. Harbaugh was a quarterback at Michigan in the mid-80's.

Harbaugh took over a Stanford program that went 1-11 in 2006 and their team has seen improvement each year under him. This season, the Cardinal won a school-record 12 games and won the Orange Bowl.

If Miami does decide to hire Harbaugh, they will first need to satisfy the league's Rooney Rule, which requires each team to interview a minority candidate for a coaching position.

Miami finished the season 7-9 and missed the playoffs for the second straight year. Sporano was hired to coach a club that went 1-15 in 2006 and led them to a 11-5 record a year later. The turnaround season led to Sporano winning the NFL Coach of the Year award.

Harbaugh's brother, John, is the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens.

Texans Hire Phillips as Defensive Coordinator

By Justin Worsley,

Wade Phillips still has a job in the state of Texas.

The former Dallas Cowboys head coach has agreed to be come the defensive coordinator of the Houston Texans.

The Texans began the season with high hopes of making their first playoff appearance in franchise history, however, poor defensive play derailed the team and they finished 6-10.

After the season ended, there were rumors that head coach Gary Kubiak was going to be fired, but instead, Texans owner Bob McNair decided to keep Kubiak and instead fire defensive coordinator Frank Bush.

Phillips replaced Bill Parcells as head coach of the Cowboys in 2007 and led them to a 13-3 record. Each season after that, however, the team's production began to decline. Dallas missed the playoffs before returning in 2009 after going 11-5. The Cowboys won their first postseason game since 1996 that year.

This year, however, the Cowboys carried they hype before the season began that they would become the first team in NFL history to play in their home stadium in the Super Bowl. Those words did not hold true as Dallas started the season 1-7 and owner Jerry Jones decided to cut ties with Phillips.

Along with being the head coach, Phillips served as the defensive coordinator in Dallas in 2009-10 as well as stints with six other teams. Houston will shuffle their personnel to Phillips' 3-4 scheme, which removes one down lineman in order to have four linebackers instead of a 4-3.