Tomlinson will miss home opener for Chargers
LaDainian Tomlinson is one of three San Diego Chargers who have been ruled out of Sunday’s home opener against the Baltimore Ravens.
The star running back, who sprained his right ankle in Monday night’s 24-20 win at Oakland, will miss just the second game of his career due to injury. The first was in January when a groin injury kept him out of San Diego’s playoff loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.
Also out are center Nick Hardwick (ankle) and defensive end Travis Johnson (groin). Right guard Louis Vasquez (knee) could also be sidelined, along with linebacker Antwan Applewhite (hamstring) and defensive tackle Jamal Williams (elbow). All three are listed as questionable for Sunday.
Other injuries
New York Giants defensive tackle Chris Canty will be on the sidelines when he returns to Dallas this weekend. Giants Coach Tom Coughlin said Canty missed practice again with a calf injury and has been ruled out for Sunday night’s game against the Cowboys.
Canty, who left Dallas to sign with New York as a free agent, got hurt in practice Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Limas Sweed won’t play Sunday against the Chicago Bears because of a sprained foot. Starting linebacker Lawrence Timmons (high ankle sprain) is expected to play against the Bears, although it is uncertain if he will start. Timmons was injured Aug. 22 against Washington and wasn’t in uniform against Tennessee on Sept. 10. Keyaron Fox took his place.
Timmons left practice early Wednesday, but went through full practices Thursday and Friday.
New deal
Buffalo Bills cornerback Terrence McGee has signed a contract extension for four years, according to a person familiar with the contract who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team has not announced the terms.
McGee, Buffalo’s top cornerback the last two seasons, missed Friday’s practice because of back spasms and is questionable for Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay.
Fine time
The NFL has fined Redskins receiver Santana Moss and Giants cornerback Corey Webster each $5,000 for their tussle during last week’s game.
Moss and Webster struck each other in the head during the second quarter of New York’s 23-17 victory against Washington on Sunday. Webster knocked Moss’s helmet off.
Both were assessed personal foul penalties on the play.
Elsewhere, the league fined Arizona Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson $10,000 for a hit on San Francisco receiver Vernon Davis last Sunday.
Wilson was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the play, on which he broke up a pass. Davis wasn’t hurt.
The league said Wilson “unnecessarily struck a defenseless receiver.”
Last season, Wilson was fined $25,000 for a hit that knocked Buffalo quarterback Trent Edwards out of a game. In 2007, Wilson was fined for a late hit and a horse-collar tackle.
San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers also was the recipient of a fine ($7,500) for taunting in Monday night’s victory at Oakland.
Rivers was involved in an incident with Raiders defensive lineman Gerard Warren, which resulted in a 15-yard penalty as well as the fine.
Chargers blackout lifted
The San Diego Chargers have sold enough tickets to lift the local television blackout of their home opener on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Chargers were in danger of their first regular-season blackout since 2004.
Both of their exhibition openers were blacked out, and the team has warned fans that there could be regular-season blackouts.
The team said 4,000 tickets remain for their game against Miami a week from Sunday.
