AROUND THE NFL News and notes

Injuries
NEW YORK -- The NFL injury epidemic didn't pause this weekend, with Rich Gannon breaking a vertebra in his neck that will sideline him for eight weeks, and Charlie Garner and Rex Grossman out for the season. Also gone for the year are Cleveland linebacker Ben Taylor, Cincinnati linebacker Nate Webster and Philadelphia fullback Jon Ritchie. Gannon had an MRI on Monday morning and was taken for further tests. Oakland Raiders coach Norv Turner didn't believe Gannon was at risk for paralysis and said the quarterback was walking around the team's training facility before receiving the news about his neck. Turner said Gannon will wear a hard neck brace for the next six weeks. In the same game, the Bucs' Garner, a former Raider, tore the right patella tendon in his right knee. Garner, 32, who signed with the Bucs after having offseason surgery on his left knee, slipped as he made a cut and appeared to twist his right leg. The Bucs also lost tight end Rickey Dudley with a broken right thumb that will require surgery.
Bears
LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Starting quarterback Rex Grossman ruptured a ligament in his right knee. Grossman was injured in Sunday's 27-22 loss to Minnesota when he scored on a 6-yard scramble at the 2-minute warning. An MRI confirmed the tear of anterior cruciate ligament. Grossman is expected to undergo surgery in a couple weeks and will face up to 10 months of rehabilitation. Backup Jonathan Quinn, who signed with the Bears in March, will become the starter. Chad Hutchinson was signed as a roster replacement for Grossman.
Eagles
PHILADELPHIA -- Fullback Jon Ritchie tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee covering a punt in Sunday's 30-13 victory over the Lions. Ritchie is the fourth significant player the Eagles have lost for the season, joining running back Correll Buckhalter (knee), right guard Shawn Andrews (leg) and defensive end N.D. Kalu (knee). Right guard Jermane Mayberry tore a tendon in his biceps on Sunday, but coach Andy Reid is optimistic the former Pro Bowl selection won't miss much time. Mayberry could even return for this week's game against Chicago. Tight end L.J. Smith hurt his shoulder against the Lions, but he also could return this week.
Bengals
CINCINNATI -- Middle linebacker Nate Webster had surgery Monday to repair the patella tendon in his right knee, torn during the closing minutes of a 23-9 loss to Baltimore on Sunday.
Packers
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Brett Favre can add another ailment to his list: a bum left shoulder to go with a bruised left hamstring. The three-time MVP revealed after the loss at Indianapolis on Sunday that his non-throwing shoulder has been bothering him for two years.
Titans
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Quarterback Steve McNair was to stay in the hospital Monday night with a bruised sternum. X-rays and a CT scan showed no serious injuries, and McNair will be released from the hospital Tuesday. After losing 15-12 to Jacksonville on Sunday, McNair spent the night in the hospital after he was unable to take deep breaths without pain. McNair, the NFL's top rushing quarterback since 1997, apparently was hurt at the end of a 5-yard scramble. Instead of sliding, McNair dived forward looking for more yardage. As he went down, 312-pound Jaguars defensive tackle Marcus Stroud came down on McNair's back.
Giants
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Running back Ron Dayne was scheduled to have an MRI on his left calf to determine what caused it to swell just hours before Sunday's game with Cleveland. Quarterback Kurt Warner left the locker room with ice packs on his left knee and ankle. He aggravated both when he was bent backward while being sacked in the fourth quarter on Sunday.
Associated Press