NFL; Briggs says he panicked after car wreck

Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs said he panicked after crashing his new Lamborghini along a Lake Forest, Ill., highway early Monday morning and initially reported his car stolen after abandoning the mangled vehicle.

Speaking to reporters after practice on Tuesday, Briggs said he called a tow truck after leaving the scene and then reported his 2007 Murcielago was stolen.

“When it happened, the first thing I did was, obviously, I panicked,” Briggs said. “I didn’t want there to be a big scene there. And so I left the scene. When I left, I called the tow truck. I also was startled, and I called to report that my car was stolen.

“Within probably 10 minutes, I called back and accepted responsibility for what I did because it was ridiculous in the first place.”

Illinois State Police said they have no record of Briggs reporting a stolen vehicle.

Police did say that Briggs placed a 9-1-1 call at around 4 a.m. Monday, after initially saying he did not call police until sometime between 8 a.m. and 9.

Briggs was charged with leaving the scene of an accident, a misdemeanor, and was given traffic citations for failure to give immediate notice of an accident and improper lane usage, when he met with police on Monday afternoon. He was released after posting $100 bond and is scheduled to appear Oct. 4 in a Cook County court.

Giants, Strahan talk

Seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan had constructive talks with the New York Giants twice in the past 24 hours, and he expects to make a decision soon on whether to retire or play.

If the 35-year-old Strahan decides to play, he will have missed the entire preseason and will only have one week to prepare for the Giants’ season opener at Dallas on Sept. 9.

Patriots sign Samuel

New England Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel has signed a one-year contract worth $7.79 million, ending a contract dispute that had kept him out of training camp for a month.

Samuel missed much of the preseason because of a dispute that began when the Patriots applied the franchise tag to the fifth-year veteran in February.

Around the league

Former No. 1 NFL draft pick Tim Couch had doping regimens that called for anabolic steroids and human growth hormone, according to documents obtained by Yahoo.com. Couch, cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this month, told Yahoo.com he used HGH for about a week, under a doctor’s care, in hopes it would help him recover from shoulder surgery. He denied using steroids or any other banned drugs and said he had never seen the documents. … Defensive tackle Corey Simon agreed to terms with the Tennessee Titans and will try to resume his career after not playing in 2006. The Indianapolis Colts released Simon on Aug. 4 after he failed a physical. … Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel is appealing the $12,500 fine he received for a low hit on Washington Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell during an Aug. 18 preseason game.