540MINUTES

Associated Press


IRVING, Texas -- Adam "Pacman" Jones has been cleared to play for the Dallas Cowboys this season.

The cornerback-kick returner was suspended all last season, when he was with the Tennessee Titans, because of an accumulation of arrests and legal problems. He was traded to the Cowboys in April, then allowed in June by commissioner Roger Goodell to join the team in training camp and in preseason games.

Goodell, however, was still waiting to decide whether to let Jones play in the regular season. That news came Thursday, hours before Dallas' final preseason game.

"This is another step in the process," said Jones in a statement released by the team. "I am very grateful for this opportunity, and I understand my responsibilities to the Dallas Cowboys and the National Football League. Right now I just want to keep working hard so I can accomplish the goals that I have set for myself both on and off the field."

Jones has been arrested six times and involved in a dozen incidents requiring police intervention since the Titans drafted him in the first round in 2005. His last NFL game was Dec. 31, 2006.

Cowboys' Jones reinstated by NFL....

Mercury News Wire Services

The surgeon's knife can wait. Shawne Merriman is going to play football, two torn knee ligaments and all.

A day after visiting a fourth doctor, the San Diego Chargers' star outside linebacker decided Wednesday to play this season rather than have surgery on his damaged left knee.

"To be as simple as possible, I just want to play football," Merriman said. "That's what it comes down to. I know what's on the table, I know what's on the line. I put a lot of work in this and I want to play."

Merriman said late last week that he has tears in both the posterior cruciate and lateral collateral ligaments in his left knee, which he hurt in a game at Tennessee in December. He spent several days seeking outside opinions. He returned Tuesday after seeing a doctor in Miami.

Merriman said all four doctors he saw said he needed surgery, but there "just wasn't a time frame on that. My knee still looks pretty good. The decision was left up to me to play. If you give a football player a decision to play, you know, I'm going to play."

Chargers' Merriman to play despite injuries....

ESPN.com news services

Former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan would consider returning to the team in the wake of Osi Umenyiora's season-ending knee injury, the New York Daily News has reported, citing an unnamed source.

According to the paper, Strahan, 36, who retired in the offseason after helping lead the Giants to a Super Bowl championship, would come back with the Giants if offered an $8 million contract for this season, according to a source close to the seven-time Pro Bowler.

"If the Giants make a sincere overture, it's a good chance that Strahan would consider coming back," the source said, according to the Daily News. "There are other things he has to take into consideration: the money and his contract with Fox."

Strahan currently holds a position at Fox Sports as an NFL studio analyst.


"But if the Giants really want him, they have a shot," the source said. "It's not out of the question."

The Giants appear open to the idea.

Reports: Strahan would consider returning, Giants open to idea....

By TOM CANAVAN

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora will have season-ending surgery on his injured left knee. Umenyiora was hurt in the second quarter of Saturday's preseason game against the New York Jets, and Dr. Russell Warren told the team on Sunday that an MRI found a tear in his lateral meniscus.

The two-time Pro Bowler will have surgery on Tuesday.

"It was obviously the news that I did not want to hear," coach Tom Coughlin said. "But after listening to the explanation and Dr. Warren's thoughts on it, I am convinced that this is the right procedure and the right way to go."

The normal recovery last four months, Coughlin said, adding that a non-surgical option was not discussed.

Giants DE Umenyiora needs surgery, to miss season....

In an email to the North County Times, All Pro linebacker Shawne Merriman has revealed that the pain he has been struggling with this pre-season is related to ligament damage in his left knee. He told the San Diego Union Tribune that the damage is in the Posterior Cruciate ligament.

The immediate prognosis is uncertain. Options are still being weighed and the extent of the damage is unknown. Merriman has said that if the choice is left to him he will play with pain rather than miss time. If a surgical solution is necessary, recovery time will be part of the decision. Would the Chargers rather have Merriman at, say, 75% for a whole season or at 100% but only for 10 games?

Merriman's knee injury concerns Chargers....

Gene Upshaw, the Hall of Fame player who was the longtime executive director of the NFL Players Association, has died.

He was 63.

Upshaw had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, according to several reports.

An NFL Players Association official confirmed Upshaw's death.

The union posted a written statement on its website that said: "We are deeply saddened and shocked by the sudden and unexpected death of our leader, Gene Upshaw. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Terri, and their three sons--Eugene, Justin and Daniel. Gene learned he was sick just this past Sunday and he died with his family at his side. We ask that the media respect our need to begin the process of dealing with this unexpected tragedy and to begin the grieving process."

Upshaw Dead at 63....

Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - The Cincinnati Bengals signed troubled wide receiver Chris Henry on Tuesday.

The Bengals released Henry on April 3 after his fifth arrest since the club made him their third-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. Charges for that arrest were later dropped, and, subsequently, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's indefinite suspension was revised to a four-game ban.

For his repeated violations of the league's personal conduct policy, Henry will miss the first four games of the 2008 season, but will still be able to participate in practice and preseason games. However, during the suspension, which starts on September 1, Henry will also be held out of practice.

Bengals take another chance on Henry....