Seattle with health questions nearing opener

Two of Seattle's biggest offseason acquisitions aren't even certain to be ready for the season opener Sunday in San Francisco.

Both offensive lineman Robert Gallery and wide receiver Sidney Rice are hobbling just days before Carroll's second season in charge of the Seahawks begins.

The larger question looms around Gallery, who sprained a knee Friday night in the exhibition finale against Oakland. Gallery was hurt late in the first quarter and his availability for the 49ers is in question.

"He's had a couple of good days here. He has a sprained knee and we're just going to have to see how it goes day to day," Carroll said of his big offensive lineman. "We'll watch him carefully and he's hopeful he can make it back by the weekend. We'll have to wait and see."

But the injury concerns don't end there for Seattle.

While running back Marshawn Lynch (ankle) and linebacker David Hawthorne (knee) are both expected to return to practice on Wednesday, according to coach Pete Carroll, there's still a looming question about Rice and a sore shoulder that kept him out of the final preseason game.

The Seahawks have some depth at receiver, but the uncertainty around Gallery is already forcing Seattle's struggling offensive line to examine some new combinations.

"You have to develop all the flexibility that you can," Carroll said. "We'll be in the game with seven or eight linemen and guys have to play multiple spots."

One of the options could be rookie first-round pick James Carpenter, who has struggled at right tackle during the preseason. Seattle got to the point in its final two exhibition games of working in veteran Breno Giacomini along with Carpenter at tackle as the rookie had problems with outside speed rushers.

Colts: Manning doubtful for Sunday's opener: The unthinkable suddenly seems possible in Indianapolis - opening the season without Peyton Manning.

The four-time league-MVP who has never missed a start in his NFL career is doubtful for Sunday's game at Houston because of lingering soreness in his back following offseason neck surgery. If Manning sits, it would be the first time the NFL's active iron man missed a meaningful game after 227 consecutive starts including the playoffs.

"I hate it for Peyton," said Pro Bowl center Jeff Saturday, one of Manning's closest friends. "You want him to be healthy, you want him to be back, but you want him to take care of it, too. It's sad when players face tough times, but I know he's strong enough to get through it."

The question is whether the Colts can survive without their franchise quarterback, whose streak stands second in NFL history to Brett Favre's among all QBs.

Team officials have not said how much longer it could take Manning to recover, leaving that decision to Manning and his doctors.

Over the years, life without Manning has been pretty dismal.

The only time he missed a regular-season snap because of injury, against Miami in 2001, backup Mark Rypien fumbled. The Dolphins recovered, then drove 59 yards for the winning score. Manning returned on the next series with a bloody mouth. He was later diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his jaw.

On the rare occasions when Manning has played sparingly, in the preseason and meaningless late-season games, the Colts have not fared much better.

The goal now is to change that trend.

"If anything, we want to go out there and step it up," Pro Bowl safety Antoine Bethea said. "Of course it will be different (without Manning), but it's one of those things that if it happens, everybody else has to step up. It's next man up."

That's been true at every position but one over the past 13 years in Indy. And now the Colts' longtime mantra will be put to its most challenging test.

Manning had surgery to repair a nerve May 23, but the recovery has taken longer than the expected six to eight weeks that would have put back on the field for the start of training camp. Instead, Manning started camp on the physically unable to perform list and wasn't activated till last Monday.

Romo trusts his 3 young, unproven blockers: Tyron Smith is so young he doesn't turn 21 until nearly Christmas.

Bill Nagy is so unproven he didn't even start every game at Wisconsin last season.

Phil Costa's body of work as an NFL lineman includes two games last year and two this preseason before hurting a knee.

Yet those guys are three-fifths of the Dallas Cowboys' offensive line that will protect Tony Romo in the opener Sunday night, a game that also marks his first real action since breaking a collarbone last October.

As much pressure as that might seem, it's not even the full story.

The Cowboys will be trying to slow a Jets defense that could be more aggressive than usual because their head coach, Rex Ryan, will be looking to show off with his twin brother, Rob, across the field coordinating the Dallas defense. They also have to deal with the setting: a nationally broadcast, prime-time game from New York on a night when the city will pay tribute to the 10-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

Can these blockers handle all of that?

"I think we're banking on it," Romo said Monday. "These guys have done a good job coming together. They're starting to jell. They just have to go out and play, do what they've been coached to do. I think we've got a good group of guys. Guys are going to work hard and give it their all out there, and that's all that you can ask."

Rex Grossman wins Redskins QB job: It's Rex. By the proverbial nose of the football.

Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan ended the suspense Monday and announced Rex Grossman as the starting quarterback, giving the nine-year veteran the nod over John Beck going into Sunday's season opener against the New York Giants.

"I've got a lot of faith in both of them. It was very competitive all the way through," Shanahan said. "I thought Rex won by an edge."

Grossman becomes the latest player to be given the chance to hold a position that has lacked stability essentially since the end of the glory days of the 1980s and early 1990s. The Redskins have used 20 starting quarterbacks over 18 seasons, with this year's competition a fallout from last year's Donovan McNabb debacle, when Shanahan traded two draft picks for a former Pro Bowl player who eventually got benched and then traded.

Shanahan decided to go with Beck vs. Grossman in 2011, even though Beck hasn't played in a regular- season game since 2007 and Grossman hasn't done much since losing his starting job with the Chicago Bears in 2007, the year after he led them to a Super Bowl. Grossman is a 40-40 player, but that's not a compliment: He's thrown 4o touchdowns and 40 interceptions in his NFL career.

Shanahan said he was staking his reputation on his belief both can play, and he maintained that confidence Monday.

"Any time you've got confidence in two quarterbacks, it's pretty good in the National Football League, and that's what I have right now," the coach said. "I'm very pleased with it."

One would assume that Grossman is pleased as well, but he'll wait to fully express it to the world. After initially saying both quarterbacks would be made available to reporters, the team recanted and said they would instead speak on Wednesday.

"He came in here like he wanted to fight for a job, like he expected to win a job, and he did just that," running back Tim Hightower said of Grossman. "But it's preseason. Now the real work begins, so we'll see what happens now."

Finley's back, but Rodgers must keep Packers' WRs happy: The formula seems simple enough for the Green Bay Packers: plug Jermichael Finley back in, and one of the NFL's best offenses gets even better.

The way Greg Jennings sees it, though, reintegrating Finley into the Packers' offense while keeping everybody else happy might not be as easy as it sounds - especially for Aaron Rodgers.

"Let me say this: Aaron has a tough job. A very, very tough job," Jennings said. "You look out there and you see all these options. And it's like, 'Yes, I have so many options.' But then, on the other end of that, you look out there and see all these eyes and hands wanting the ball, and now it's like, 'Uh, I've got to make sure I get everybody into the game.'"

While the playmaking tight end's return from a season-ending right knee injury could be a huge boost for the Packers going into Thursday night's opener against New Orleans, it also carries some challenges for Rodgers, Mike McCarthy and the rest of the coaches.

Finley took relatively few snaps in the preseason and was limited in practice Monday with a lingering ankle injury - although he said he feels fine, and McCarthy said he participated in most of the drills.

Finley can't wait to get back, and doesn't really see how his return might make things tougher on Rodgers.

"It makes it that much easier, to tell you the truth," Finley said. "We've got playmakers all over the field."

Rodgers typically sidesteps questions about spreading the ball around by saying he'll throw to whoever is open. And with Finley back, Rodgers is looking forward to seeing what happens with Jennings - and how receivers Jordy Nelson, James Jones, Donald Driver and rookie Randall Cobb might benefit, too.

Saints coach Payton gets extension: Sean Payton has a new contract that gives him a chance to make his first NFL head coaching job a decade-long gig.

The Saints announced on Monday that Payton, who coached New Orleans to its first Super Bowl championship two seasons ago, has agreed to an extension through 2015.

The deal carries Payton through what would be his 10th season since he joined the Saints in 2006, shortly after the team's miserable 3-13 2005 campaign that was defined in large part by displacement to San Antonio because of Hurricane Katrina.

"It is good news, and I would start ... by recognizing the significant role that (general manager) Mickey Loomis and (owner)Tom Benson have had in not just this contract for me, but the stability and the success we've had as an organization," Payton said. "I'm very thankful to have that opportunity here for another five years."

Including three trips to the postseason in his first five seasons, Payton has a 53-33 record with New Orleans. In his first season, he coached the Saints to their first NFC title game. In his fourth season, the Saints made the only Super Bowl appearance in the franchise's 44-year history, beating the Indianapolis Colts.

Meriweather starts fresh with Bears: Brandon Meriweather delivered some big shots for the New England Patriots. He wouldn't take any fresh ones at them, though.

The Pro Bowl safety insisted he's just looking forward to a fresh start with the Chicago Bears and had nothing but praise for the Patriots and coach Bill Belichick on Monday.

"I have a lot of respect for that organization," he said. "I have a lot of respect for Bill and the rest of the people, the rest of the staff there, but that's behind me."

The Patriots released Meriweather on Saturday even though he was coming off back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons. He agreed to a one-year deal with Chicago a day later, joining a team that won the NFC North at 11-5 and advanced to the conference championship game.

He called the Bears "a first-class organization" and said he hopes to be ready for the opener against Atlanta this season. He also sidestepped questions about his role and the reasons the Patriots gave him for releasing him.

"That's between me and coach," Meriweather said.

Pressed on that, he responded: "I'm sure if you called Bill and asked him, I'm sure he'd give you all the details."

Chiefs banged up: Kansas City coach Todd Haley still believes in his unique approach to training camp, even after losing tight end Tony Moeaki to a season-ending knee injury and watching Matt Cassel leave Kansas City's preseason finale with banged-up ribs.

Cassel was a full participant in practice Monday, but Haley refused to discuss his status for Sunday's regular-season opener against Buffalo. The Pro Bowl quarterback left in the second quarter last Thursday night after getting sacked by 340-pound Packers defensive tackle Howard Green.

"He was out there practicing," Haley said. "It was our first real game plan day, so always some kinks to work through, but I thought we had a productive day across the board."

Most coaches prefer to rest their starters after one or two series in their final preseason game to guard against injuries. Haley took a different tact after the lockout turned training camp upside down, playing his regulars sparingly the first three games in an attempt to get them into proper condition.

Haley then turned them loose into the fourth quarter against the Packers.

"I don't know that there's a training camp you go through without injuries," Haley said. "Injuries are an unfortunate part of it, but if you're asking if that's why guys got hurt, no, in my opinion."

Players routinely grit their teeth through rib injuries, but anything that slows Cassel the least bit could be devastating for a Chiefs offense that relies heavily on his decision making.

Kansas City lost 31-0 to the San Diego Chargers last season in its only game without him under center, gaining just 67 yards of total offense. And the Chiefs fell 38-24 to the Baltimore Ravens in their 2009 opener, which Cassel missed with a knee injury. Brodie Croyle started that game.