Stewart Reports No Trouble With His Injured Right Leg

Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback Kordell Stewart completed a full practice Friday and reported no trouble with his injured right leg.

He sat out nearly a quarter of last Sunday’s game with what the team thinks is a knee sprain.

In his absence, backup Kent Graham threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown. Stewart later returned to the game.

An MRI earlier in the week revealed no structural damage to Stewart’s knee, Coach Bill Cowher said. His injury is officially listed as a strained upper calf.

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Oakland Raider defensive end Regan Upshaw, ordered by the NFL to pay almost $30,000 for spitting on Steeler punter Josh Miller, thinks the fine is too high.

Miller agrees.

“I don’t make the rules but that’s a huge number,” Miller said Friday. “When I heard that, it blew me away.”

Upshaw and Miller exchanged words after a Pittsburgh punt in the third quarter of the Steelers’ 21-20 win last weekend. Then Upshaw leaned forward and spit on Miller. After the game, Upshaw said Miller cursed at him.

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Commissioner Paul Tagliabue wrote an e-mail to 600,000 fans this week and said the misdeeds of a few players “can taint the image of an entire league.”

Concerned about the perception that the NFL is not addressing the issue of player behavior, Tagliabue outlined the league’s policies.

Tagliabue’s office received a number of letters from concerned fans after Baltimore Raven linebacker Ray Lewis and former Carolina Panther wide receiver Rae Carruth were charged with murder.

“People out there were not aware of all the things we are doing,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. “This was a convenient vehicle to reach them.”

In the e-mail to the subscribers to the NFL.com newsletter, Tagliabue said the NFL shares the concern of fans “when the misconduct of a player victimizes other individuals.”

Tagliabue said the league had expanded its off-field programs initiative in May with pre-employment screening of incoming players and the hiring by each team of a full-time security director.

“We want you to know that everyone involved in the NFL--team owners, coaches, club officials, and league officials--recognizes our collective responsibility to encourage and support proper player conduct on and off the field,” Tagliabue said.

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The Cleveland Browns put rookie quarterback Spergon Wynn on injured reserve and signed former Atlanta quarterback Tony Graziani as a backup. Wynn is the third Brown quarterback to be sidelined for the season. . . . The Cincinnati Bengals signed defensive tackle Keith Jackson to their practice squad.