NFL notes: Injured Panthers Allen and Davis could be ready for Super Bowl

Veteran Carolina Panthers defensive end Jared Allen has two weeks to prove to coach Ron Rivera he can play after missing the NFC Championship Game with a broken foot.

Allen injured his foot in the NFC divisional round victory over the Seattle Seahawks, and Rivera didn’t feel comfortable playing Allen on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

With two weeks to get healthy before facing Denver, Allen could play in his first Super Bowl after 12 years in the league.

“I’m excited for the fact that he’s got two weeks to get ready, and prove to me that he’s ready to roll, which I believe he will knowing him,” Rivera said. “That’s just who he is.”

Less than 10 hours after the Panthers clinched a trip to Super Bowl 50, linebacker Thomas Davis was getting surgery to repair his broken right arm so he could play with his team in Santa Clara, Calif.

The 11-year veteran had surgery Monday morning to his arm after breaking it in the second quarter of Sunday night’s 49-15 win against the Cardinals in the NFC Championship Game. Rivera said if all goes well, Davis should be able to play against Denver.

“He’s in recovery, doing well, doctors feel real comfortable about it,” said Rivera, joking that he was getting his information from Davis’ wife, Kelly. “And we’ll see once he gets back here tomorrow and trainers get a chance to look at him. We’ll see how he is Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.”

Broncos going with white uniforms

The Denver Broncos have chosen to wear their white road uniforms in the Super Bowl.

It’s a simple reason: “We’ve had Super Bowl success in our white uniforms,” said John Elway, who was the Broncos’ QB in back-to-back Super Bowl wins in the 1990s and is now their executive VP and general manager.

Denver wore its white uniforms in its last Super Bowl win, 34-19 over Atlanta 17 years ago.

The Broncos went 6-2 on the road in 2015, tying a franchise record for most victories away from home.

The AFC is designated the home team in even years.

The Broncos (14-4) face the Panthers (17-1) on Feb. 7 in their record-tying eighth Super Bowl appearance.

Manning gets $2 million for beating Patriots

Peyton Manning earned back half of the $4 million pay cut he accepted last winter by leading the Broncos back to the Super Bowl.

He can recoup the rest with a win over Carolina in two weeks.

Manning agreed to Elway’s request that he reduce his 2015 salary to $15 million. But he did so with the caveat that he could earn back every penny by getting to and winning Super Bowl 50.

Each member of the Broncos earned $46,000 Sunday when they beat New England 20-18.

The Super Bowl winners each get $102,000 and the losing team’s individual share is $51,000.

A windfall for some players, pocket change for others.

Manning earned $882,352 each week during the regular season.

Deflategate back on the front burner

Now that their season is over, the New England Patriots can get back to a topic they like even less than losing to Peyton Manning: Deflategate.

The NFL’s appeal in the drawn-out legal battle is scheduled to be heard by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York on March 3.

Quarterback Tom Brady was suspended four games and the team lost $1 million and two draft picks after an NFL investigation found the Patriots supplied improperly inflated footballs for last year’s AFC championship game.

U.S. District Judge Richard Berman vacated the suspension, and the league has appealed. A three-judge panel will hear oral arguments in March. A decision could take weeks or months after that.

Falcons get two more to Pro Bowl

Atlanta Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant and fullback Patrick DiMarco have been added to the NFC roster for the Pro Bowl.

It is the first selection for each player. They replace two Carolina players, fullback Mike Tolbert and cornerback Josh Norman.

DiMarco becomes the first Falcons fullback to be selected to the Pro Bowl since Ovie Mughelli in 2010.

Trufant had 42 tackles, 11 passes defensed, one interception, one sack, two fumble recoveries, and one defensive touchdown.

Atlanta wide receiver Julio Jones and running back Devonta Freeman were named to the Pro Bowl in December.