Donte Whitner (31) is known as a big hitter in the 49ers secondary. (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)
Honoring Peyton: The Broncos visit Indianapolis next Sunday night (Oct. 20), and the Colts will be doing the right thing for the return of quarterback Peyton Manning.
Owner Jim Irsay revealed that the team will have a pregame tribute to Manning for all he did during his 14 seasons with the team.
Said Irsay, “We’re going to have a great tribute to him. It’s going to be something where you go into it wanting to have a lot of fun, where you love Peyton as a Colt fan, but now we’re competing against him.
“It’ll be tremendous. They will cheer, as deserved. When he comes back on the field, I think there will be a boisterous standing ovation, as there should be. He means so much to our franchise. It’s going to be crazy, but mostly it’ll be fun. I hope it’s just a great game.”
Never to be overlooked is how the injury to Manning resulted in the Colts winding up with the first pick in the 2012 draft, leading to the selection of quarterback Andrew Luck. As great as Manning played, his enduring legacy to the franchise will also be the seamless transition to what appears to be another long run if greatness at the position.
Speaking of Manning, he actually had this to say this week (presumably with a straight face) about the winless Jacksonville Jaguars: “We’re playing a good NFL football team. I don’t look at anything besides what I see on the tape on defense, and I see a team that’s stingy in the red zone, I see some offenses that have made some really good plays against them, that have been hard to defend. Certainly, you know, it’s a team with a lot of pride.”
Whither Hitner? Recently, San Francisco 49ers safety Donte Whitner said he planned to legally change his name to Hitner because of his style of play. Whitner is serious.
Because his home state is Ohio, Whitner paid $130 to apply for the name change. A hearing is scheduled for Nov. 19, which means his new name could be in effect for the team’s Nov. 25 game on Monday Night Football at Washington.
The reason for the change, as explained in the application, is that it “will be beneficial to applicant’s career as a professional football player and in other business ventures further, the requested name does not involve potential for fraud, will not interfere with the rights of others, will not permit the applicant to avoid legal duty, and is not contrary to the public policy of this state.”
Byrd Calls? There have been numerous trade rumors involving Buffalo Bills safety Jairus Byrd, who is being paid the one-year franchise tender after missing the entire offseason as well as a large part of training camp.
So far, the Bills have received little for their money with Byrd having been inactive for the first five games of the season because of a foot injury.
With the trade deadline of Oct. 29 approaching, the Bills essentially acknowledged the trade doors are indeed open.
Said general manager Doug Whaley, “Our focus right now is Jairus getting on the field and playing the best he can for the Buffalo Bills. We are not actively on the phone hammering out trying to look for a trade. By the same token, (club president) Russ Brandon would listen if someone wanted to trade. So if the phone rings, we’re going to listen. But that doesn’t mean we’re out trying to trade.”
Whaley also said there is always the chance Byrd could be back with the team after the 2013 season.
He said, “There’s always a possibility. It’s one of those things where you can never say never. Will he be on the team? We hope so. We’re not sure, but we’re going to do everything that’s best for the Buffalo Bills in the future.”
And Tony? With the Falcons off to a disappointing 1-4 start and the loss of wide receiver Julio Jones for the season, there were those that added 1 and 1 and got 3 in trying to fuel speculation that tight end Tony Gonzalez could be on the trading block.
Gonzalez decided not to retire and returned to the Falcons because he believed the team was oh-so-close to the super Bowl. The Falcons signed running back Steven Jackson, and he hasn’t played since the second game of the season. Talk about best-laid plans.
While Gonzalez said he wants to stay where he is, Falcons coach Mike Smith shot down the rumors as strongly as he could.
“That’s preposterous that Tony would be traded,” Smith said. “He’s an integral part of our offense and has been since he’s been here. And he’s having another Hall of Fame season.
“In my mind, the last two weeks have been maybe his best two games since he’s been here. So he’s an integral part — and will continue to be — to the success we’re going to have.”
Garrard Returns: After retiring in May because of a bad knee, quarterback David Garrard was suddenly back with the Jets last week. But there are no guarantees. On a two-game roster exemption, the Jets will evaluate Garrard and see how he looks and how his knee responds.
Said Garrard, “When I left, I knew I needed some time to just get away and I let my body heal up. My knee was truly bothering me last time and I just took the whole summer and just relaxed. We went to our lake house in North Carolina and I didn’t do anything. I didn’t do any kind of conditioning or anything. (We) got back to Jacksonville towards the middle or end of August and started working out with my wife just to really stay in shape, not to get too heavy or anything like that. That whole time, just the last month, two months, I’ve just been feeling great. My knee’s been feeling great. I’ve been going out just about every other morning and running three miles on concrete and I really thought that would be the real test on if my knee would swell back up and get sore again and it hasn’t.
“So for the last three weeks I’ve been doing that. I just said I don’t want to turn 50 one day and look back and say what if I just called somebody just to say, ‘Hey, you know (if) there’s an opportunity. I’m really thinking about trying to get back.’ And if anybody tells me ‘We appreciate it. You had a great career, but we’re just going to move on,’ then I would’ve been happy with going on with my life. But I just feel I needed to make that call myself and at least see, test the waters and see and I’m very thankful I did. The Lord has really blessed me to be able to be here at this time.”
We’ll see if he’s there after Week 7.
Harvin Anxious: Seattle wide receiver Percy Harvin can begin practicing next week after being placed on reserve/physically unable (PUP) to perform at the cutdown to 53. Players on that list can begin practicing during a five-week window that begins after Week 6. Once they start practicing, the team has 21 days to decide whether to activate the player of keep them on PUP for the remainder of the season.
Harvin has been running and is anxious to play, even suggesting he could be ready for the Seahawks’ game next Thursday against Arizona. Not so fast, said coach Pete Carroll.
“I don’t think that is realistic,” Carroll said. “I think that is too soon to expect that to happen.
The Seahawks are obviously a playoff-caliber team and they won’t do anything too soon that could jeopardize Harvin’s availability later.
Carroll concluded, “We want him to be able to endure the rigors of the end of the season. It’s not important to rush him back, it’s important to wait it out and be patient and get him out there when he’s ready to go and withstand the load of the game.”
More Shots on Schiano: Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Wallace Gilberry isn’t a fan of Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano, labeling what he is doing with the Buccaneers as like “a high school program.”
Gilberry has played 19 games with the Bengals since last season and has 8.5 sacks playing as part of the rotation. For three seasons with Kansas City, he has 14 sacks. But he didn’t have a good experience in Tampa last year.
He said, “When I was in Tampa, it was frustrating. The whole situation. From the time I got there until the time I left. They released me twice. They cut me on the field at practice after the final cuts. I was on the field, ready to practice in pads and everything. Schiano came on the field and got me. ‘Hey, we got to release you.’ I flew home to Alabama and they called me the next morning. ‘We made a mistake. We want to bring you back.’ They signed me back. I made the opening day roster. My contract was guaranteed (as a vested veteran) and then they cut me again after Week 1. Schiano’s a joke, as you can see.”
