Barnett, McKenzie are out

Defensive starters for Packers, Saints have knee injuries

Defensive starters Nick Barnett of Green Bay and Mike McKenzie of New Orleans both will miss the rest of the season with knee injuries.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Monday that linebacker Barnett tore a right knee ligament in Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings, which the Packers lost 28-27. Surgery has not been scheduled.

McCarthy said coaches were discussing plans to replace Barnett, including using backup Desmond Bishop or moving outside linebackers A.J. Hawk or Brandon Chillar to the middle.

Saints cornerback McKenzie fractured his right kneecap on Sunday and New Orleans coach Sean Payton said McKenzie will have surgery this week and be placed on injured reserve.

McKenzie had come back this season from a torn ligament in his right knee and had regained his starting job when his latest injury occurred Sunday in a loss at Atlanta.

JURY AWARDS RETIRED PLAYERS $28.1 MILLION: A federal jury in San Francisco on Monday ordered the NFL Players Association to pay $28.1 million to retired players after finding the union failed to properly market their images.

The figure includes $21 million in punitive damages, just short of the $21.9 million award the players' lawyer had asked of the jury to reflect about 10 percent of the union's net worth at the start of the year.

Hall of Fame cornerback Herb Adderley, 69, filed the lawsuit last year on behalf of 2,056 retired players who contend the union failed to actively pursue marketing deals on their behalf with video games, trading cards and others sports products.

PORTIS UNABLE TO PRACTICE: Redskins running back Clinton Portis was unable to practice because of a sprained knee, and coach Jim Zorn said Portis is "50-50" for Sunday night's game against Dallas. Portis bruised his knee on the final play of the first quarter of last week's 23-6 loss to the Steelers, but returned for the next series and finished the game.

CHIEFS RB LARRY JOHNSON SUED OVER BAR SPAT: A woman filed a lawsuit against Chiefs running back Larry Johnson a month after saying he spit a drink in her face at a bar and threatened to kill her and her boyfriend.

The lawsuit filed Monday by Ashley N. Stewart accuses the two-time Pro Bowler of negligence, assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress. Johnson was charged last month with simple assault for the Oct. 10 incident at Kansas City's Club Blonde.

BENGALS QB PALMER OUT FOR ANOTHER WEEK: The Bengals acknowledged Monday that quarterback Carson Palmer will miss his fifth straight game because of an injured passing elbow.

Palmer hurt the elbow during a 26-23 overtime loss to the Giants in the third week of the season and played in only one more game. He has been doing rehabilitation work to try to get the elbow healthy enough to play again this season.

MAN PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO SHOOTING OF JAGS' COLLIER: The man charged with shooting Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Richard Collier 14 times has pleaded not guilty.

Tyrone Romaro Hartsfield, 32, stood silently as public defender Ann Finnell entered pleas of not guilty on Monday to charges of attempted murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Harstfield was charged in the Sept. 2 shooting that left Collier paralyzed from the waist down and resulted in the amputation of his left leg.

BENGALS ADD LINEBACKER BLACKSTOCK: Linebacker Darryl Blackstock was added to the roster, having served a four-game suspension for using a nutritional supplement that contained a substance banned by the NFL. Blackstock completed his suspension by sitting out a 21-19 win over Jacksonville on Nov. 2.