Associated Press
The NFL notebook …
CHARLOTTE ó Tight end Jeremy Shockey could be the latest Carolina Panther to miss a game with a concussion.
Shockey was held out of practice Wednesday and coach Ron Rivera said he will be reevaluated Thursday. Since Week 2, the Panthers have had one starter each week out with a concussion.
ěWeíre just going through the concussion protocol,î Rivera said of Shockey, who took a shot to the head on a field goal attempt in Sundayís loss to Chicago. ěWeíre getting to the point, and I hate to say it, but weíve had one a week. Weíre concerned obviously but we wonít know more until Thursday morning.
ěThatís probably the best time to judge because the last couple of weeks itís been Thursday mornings they donít feel good, they donít play; if Thursday morning is good, they play.î
FAVRE ON RODGERS
GREEN BAY, Wis. ó Aaron Rodgers is shrugging off Brett Favre’s assessment of his success.
The reigning Super Bowl MVP would rather talk about the accomplishments of his Green Bay Packers teammates than dwell on what his predecessor thinks.
In a radio interview with Atlanta’s 790 The Zone, Favre made remarks that could be interpreted as a subtle attempt to minimize Rodgers’ achievements.
Favre said he wasn’t surprised Rodgers won a Super Bowl, saying “the biggest surprise to me would be that he didn’t do it sooner” and that Rodgers “just kind of fell into a good situation.”
Still, Favre acknowledged that Rodgers can play.
“He’s got tremendous talent, he’s very bright and he got a chance to kind of sit and watch and he saw successful teams do it right,” Favre said in the interview. “And so he just kind of fell into a good situation. And on top of that, he’s a good player. I don’t think anyone would question now the talent around him is even better than when I was there. So I really was surprised it took him so long.î
REXíS JACKET
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. ó Rex Ryan is a Hall of Famer, and he’s got the jacket to prove it.
The New York Jets coach showed up at his news conference Wednesday wearing a navy blazer with a big logo slapped on the left side of the chest with the words “SWOSU Hall of Fame 2011” below a picture of an angry bulldog.
“What it is, is a Hall of Fame blazer,” Ryan said with a big grin.
SUPERDOME NAME
NEW ORLEANS ó The home of the New Orleans Saints and site of six Super Bowls will be renamed the Mercedes-Benz Superdome under a deal with the German automaker.
The team holds authority to sell naming rights to the 73,000-seat, state-owned stadium through their lease, which runs through 2025.