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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Tagliabue given contract extension

Associated Press

Paul Tagliabue will remain as NFL commissioner through the end of the 2007 season.

Tagliabue has officially agreed to the new deal, announced last March, to extend his current contract that would have expired after next season, league officials said Monday.

Tagliabue will be 67 when the contract expires — he would have retired at 65 had he stuck to his current deal. The new one is expected to pay him around $8 million a year, putting him on a level with NBA commissioner David Stern as the highest paid chief executives in professional sports.

The deal has been approved unanimously by the NFL’s 32 owners.

George asks for release

Eddie George, Tennessee’s all-time leading rusher, rejected the Titans’ latest contract offer and asked the team to release him quickly so he can seek a job with a new team.

George and Lamont Smith, his agent, considered the Titans’ offer over the weekend, but the proposal had not changed significantly from what the team initially offered in March.

“I’m not accepting it,” George told the Associated Press. “My expectation when making the decision is to be released. At that point, I’m looking at other options.”

Around the league

The Patriots signed former Miami Hurricanes nose tackle Vince Wilfork, the 21st overall pick in this year’s draft, to a six-year contract that could be worth more than $18 million. … The Panthers signed second-round pick Keary Colbert, a wide receiver out of Southern California, and seventh-round pick Michael Gaines, a tight end out of Central Florida, to contracts. Terms of the deals were not announced. … The Packers claimed third-year linebacker Tyreo Harrison on waivers from the Eagles. … Former University of Pittsburgh tight end Kris Wilson, a second-round draft choice of the Chiefs, has signed a four-year contract with the team. No terms were announced.