EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants might be welcoming more than Osi Umenyiora to training camp today. They could be getting a new kicker, too.
Lawrence Tynes bruised his right thigh in Saturday night's preseason loss to the Carolina Panthers, and coach Tom Coughlin said Sunday that the veteran kicker will be spending a lot of time with the team's medical personnel this week.
"I'm not going to predict how long he'll be out," Coughlin said. "He'll be a fulltime participant in the training room. That's for sure."
Coughlin was not sure whether the Giants would sign a kicker this week but it seems unlikely that Tynes will be able to play a week from Monday against Chicago.
The update on Tynes came a little more than an hour before Umenyiora told The Associated Press that he will return to work today despite not getting a new contract.
Chicago: Running back Matt Forte, who is seeking a five-year contract extension, considered not playing in Saturday's exhibition against the Bills because of the injury risk on the often-shoddy Soldier Field surface.
Forte suited up and played a total of three snaps, His only real action involved catching a shovel pass from Jay Cutler for no gain. Forte is scheduled to make a base salary of $550,000 this season.
Indianapolis: Colts coach Jim Caldwell said he isn't worried about his backup quarterbacks, despite their struggles in the preseason opener Saturday against the St. Louis Rams.
With Peyton Manning out while nursing a neck injury, reserves Curtis Painter and Dan Orlovsky got the early action in a 33-10 loss. They combined to complete 7 of 16 passes with three interceptions.
New Orleans: Starting cornerback Tracy Porter returned to practice for the first time since training camp opened and says his surgically repaired left knee isn't bothering him.
Also at practice were receivers Marques Colston and Robert Meachem. Colston was sidelined by swelling around his surgically repaired right knee cap for more than a week. Meachem left Friday night's exhibition against San Francisco with a lower back strain.
San Francisco: After a three-hour practice Sunday, San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh said the team is bringing in former NFL quarterback Daunte Culpepper, 34, for a tryout today. Veteran Alex Smith and rookie Colin Kaepernick had shaky performances in San Francisco's 24-3 loss to New Orleans in Friday's preseason opener.
Washington: The Redskins cut struggling Shayne Graham, leaving incumbent Graham Gano as lone remaining kicker at training camp. Graham is the third most accurate kicker in NFL history.
News Services
