T.O. all smiles during return
Terrell Owens ran routes, caught passes and joked around with his Philadelphia Eagles teammates – quite a different T.O. from the one booted out of training camp a week ago.
This Terrell Owens smiled, laughed and even tutored some of the younger receivers on the sidelines Wednesday.
“He was fine today. He did a great job,” said coach Andy Reid, who gave the All-Pro wideout the heave-ho and told him not to come back for a week.
The new Terrell Owens, however, still couldn’t bring himself to talk to the player he needs to be in sync with the most: Donovan McNabb.
For the first time, McNabb – who has maintained his sense of humor throughout the ordeal – said he anticipated talking to Owens at some point.
“I think it’s going to happen. I look forward to it happening,” McNabb said. “But, again, when we get to that situation, then that’s when we will handle it. I think what we are doing right now is easing into everything and just going out and working, trying to answer some of the questions one of us may have and then be able to work in the confines of our own football field.”
The running feud between quarterback and receiver was set aside while they were on the field, at least. The two stood next to each other in the huddle at times, across from each other at others, and appeared to communicate between plays. But they also stood side-by-side while stretching at the end of practice – and didn’t say a word.
Owens ran precise routes and caught crisp passes from McNabb. All that was missing were high-fives and hugs.
“He works hard out there on the field. We were able to make some big plays,” McNabb said.
Owens met briefly with Reid before practice, a condition for his return. He didn’t answer questions from reporters after the morning practice.
“It was a good meeting,” Reid said, avoiding questions about particulars. “He did a nice job. He worked very hard.”
Ward back in camp
The Pro Bowl wide receiver finally showed up at training camp, an apology to his teammates in hand, no longer a distraction or a source of concern to a team that went deep into the playoffs last season and expects to do so again.
There were smiles, handshakes and hugs, rather than whispers of resentment or questions about his sincerity, when Hines Ward resumed practicing with the Steelers.
Terrell Owens, this was not.
“I could tell today that everybody was up because Hines Ward, he’s back,” rookie receiver Fred Gibson said. “The tempo of the practice today was great.”
If there was any hostility or unhappiness, Ward’s teammates didn’t express it – a contrast to the Eagles’ camp, where Owens’ behavior and standoffishness before his one-week suspension clearly alienated some of his Eagles’ teammates before Owens also returned.
That didn’t prevent Ward from going from dorm room to dorm room at St. Vincent College, catching up with his teammates and, he said, apologizing for being away.
Rams CB Butler out for year
St. Louis Rams cornerback Jerametrius Butler will have knee surgery Monday and miss the season, coach Mike Martz said.
Butler tore a right knee ligament on the first day of training camp July 28. He went to New York City this week to see a specialist, who agreed with Rams’ doctors that Butler should have an operation.
Jones finally signs with Titans
The Tennessee Titans finally reached a deal with their top draft pick Adam “Pacman” Jones, ending their longest contract holdout since relocating to Tennessee.
Jones had missed the first 20 days of training camp. But with his agent Michael Huyghue meeting with the Titans on Tuesday and Wednesday, they finally reached agreement in principle on a five-year deal with $13.5 million in guaranteed money.
“They’ll type it up tomorrow, get it to us, and we may have to dot one more ‘I’ or cross one more ‘T,’ but he’ll be over at the facility when the team gets back and resume practice as soon as they get back,” Huyghue said.
Around the league
Chiefs kicker Lawrence Tynes was charged with breaking a bouncer’s nose in a bar fight, a felony with a maximum penalty of 3 1/2 years in prison. … The Carolina Panthers signed Pro Bowl linebacker Dan Morgan to a five-year, $28 million contract extension, locking up an anchor of the defense through the 2010 season. … Linebacker David Pollack, the Bengals’ first-round pick who played defensive end at Georgia, ended his 19-day holdout by signing a five-year contract.