Jay Cutler Lifestyle

Unless my eyes failed me, I think Bill Belichick was actually on the voice-cracking edge of shedding a tear as he began his comments at the Tedy Brushci retirement announcement, and then again at the end. He couldn't quite let...

According to a report by Yahoo, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel could be sidelined for two to four weeks because of a strained medial collateral ligament in his knee. That potentially could put Cassel's availability for the opening regular season game in jeopardy. Cassel was hurt during a preseason game over the weekend. The Chiefs have not provided details about the injury or given a timetable for Cassel's return. According to the Yahoo report, Cassel also suffered an ankle injury but it's not considered as serious as the strained knee ligament. The Chiefs obtained Cassel in an offseason trade with the New England Patriots.

Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton hurt his right index finger during Sunday night's preseason game against the Chicago Bears. Orton, traded from the Bears to the Broncos in the offseason as part of the deal that sent quarterback Jay Cutler to Chicago, appeared to hit his finger on another player's helmet on a follow-through on a second-quarter throw. Broncos Coach Josh McDaniels told NBC, which was televising the game, that Orton's finger isn't broken. It's unclear if Orton will be ready for the beginning of the regular season. "I'm going to work as hard as I can," Orton said after the game, according to the Denver Post. "I don't know how long I'm going to be out, but mentally I'll be ready to go." Broncos backup quarterback Chris Simms is sidelined by a sprained ankle. Rookie Tom Brandstater took over Sunday and could start this week's preseason finale.

According to reports by NBC and the Associated Press, New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi is scheduled to announce his retirement Monday. Bruschi, 36, has played 13 NFL seasons, all with the Patriots. He played on three Super Bowl-winning teams and was selected to the Pro Bowl in the 2004 season. He resumed his career after suffering a stroke in February 2005. Bruschi underwent surgery to have a hole in his heart repaired following his stroke and returned to the Patriots to play nine games in the 2005 season. He became an inspirational figure to people outside the sport, regularly receiving letters from people who had overcome similar setbacks, and was one of the Patriots' veteran locker-room leaders. However, the Patriots drafted inside linebacker Jerod Mayo in the first round last year and he became a defensive fixture for the club as a rookie. Bruschi had missed parts of

Jay Cutler, the Pro Bowl passer who forced a blockbuster trade out of Denver last spring and became the Chicago Bears' first franchise quarterback since Sid Luckman, returned to Invesco Field on Sunday night and led his new team to a 27-17 preseason win over the Broncos.

Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said Sunday that using Michael Vick occasionally at quarterback won't disrupt the Philadelphia Eagles' rhythm. Starting quarterback Donovan McNabb said after Vick made his preseason debut last Thursday that it had been difficult for the offense to get into a flow with McNabb giving way to Vick for five first-half plays at quarterback. Mornhinweg said Sunday that the offense will adjust over time. "It was new," Mornhinweg said at a news conference, according to a transcript provided by the Eagles. "Listen, I understand the rhythm and all of that. But one play here and there is not going to disrupt the rhythm. It won't happen. So we'll continue to do that and Michael will help us in some of these situations." Also, the Eagles moved Omar Gaither into their starting lineup at middle linebacker. Gaither is to work with the starters this week in practice,

St. Louis Rams quarterback Marc Bulger did some throwing on the side during the club's practice Sunday, according to the Associated Press. Bulger threw 21 passes in his first throwing session since suffering a broken pinkie on his right hand nearly two weeks ago. Coach Steve Spagnuolo indicated it's unclear whether Bulger will participate in this week's preseason finale, according to the AP. Bulger has missed the last two preseason games.

The New England Patriots have released second-year quarterback Kevin O'Connell, according to several reports. The move comes as a surprise, given that O'Connell was a third-round draft pick last year and appeared to be the leading candidate to be the Patriots' No. 2 quarterback behind Tom Brady. But he had a shaky performance in Friday's preseason game against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field, throwing two interceptions. The move leaves the Patriots with the recently signed Andrew Walter and undrafted rookie Brian Hoyer on the roster at quarterback behind Brady, who hurt his right shoulder during the Redskins game. The Patriots might trade for a veteran backup. The Patriots traded Matt Cassel, who led the club to an 11-5 record last season while filling in for the injured Brady, to the Kansas City Chiefs in the offseason.

UPDATED (6:21 p.m.)... The Cincinnati Bengals signed rookie offensive tackle Andre Smith, the sixth overall selection in the NFL draft in April. Smith's signing by the Bengals leaves only one first-rounder league-wide still unsigned--wide receiver Michael Crabtree, taken 10th overall by the San Francisco 49ers. The negotiations between Smith's agent, Alvin Keels, and the Bengals had been stalled until a meeting Saturday. The two sides met again Sunday to complete the deal. According to the league-owned NFL Network, Smith signed a four-year contract worth $26 million, including $21 million in guaranteed money. The Bengals have an option, which they must exercise after the 2010 season, to make a six-year deal worth $42 million, including $29.5 million in guaranteed money. "Deal is closed," Keels wrote on Twitter. "I feel really good about the end result. Andre is now a Bengal and is excited to help the team win." The Bengals

Rookie wide receiver Hakeem Nicks had a big performance for the New York Giants in Saturday's preseason game against the New York Jets. Nicks, a first-round draft pick in April, had six catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns. "I thought Hakeem Nicks played well," Giants Coach Tom Coughlin said during his postgame news conference, according to a transcript provided by the team. "I thought he made some plays. He created some opportunities for us to see him and his contribution and how he might be utilized." Nicks had touchdown catches of 22 and 71 yards. The problem was, those passes were thrown by backup quarterback David Carr, not starter Eli Manning. Still, it was a positive sign for a Giants offense that lacks a clear-cut No. 1 receiver after losing Plaxico Burress. "I feel good but at the same time I'm still trying to feel comfortable, and I'm