Controversial standout receiver Terrell Owens won't return

The team will have to pay him nearly $1 million to stay home the final five games.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Terrell Owens can take his touchdowns and dance somewhere else.
The tempestuous receiver won't return to the Philadelphia Eagles this season -- or probably ever -- "a result of a large number of situations that accumulated over a long period of time," coach Andy Reid said Monday.
Owens was suspended for Sunday night's 17-10 loss at Washington, and will remain suspended for three more games without pay. After that, the Eagles plan to deactivate him for the rest of the season.
Reid said the outspoken player "had been warned repeatedly about the consequences of his actions."
Bottom line
"We gave Terrell every opportunity to avoid this outcome," he said.
Owens was suspended Saturday, two days after he said the Eagles showed "a lack of class" for not publicly recognizing his 100th career touchdown catch in a game on Oct. 23. In the same interview with ESPN.com on Thursday, Owens said the Eagles would be better off with Green Bay's Brett Favre at quarterback instead of Donovan McNabb.
Owens also was involved in a fight last week with former Eagles defensive end Hugh Douglas, who remains with the team as its "ambassador." Owens apologized for his comments about the organization in a brief statement on Friday, but he didn't apologize to McNabb or the team.
"The league has been notified by the players' union that they will be grieving our right to take that action," Reid said, "therefore there is nothing more that I can say at this point."
Owens' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, refused to comment. Owens' relationship with the Eagles took a drastic turn after he fired longtime agent David Joseph, hired Rosenhaus and demanded a new contract just one season into the seven-year, $48.97 million deal he signed when he came to Philadelphia in March 2004.
The monetary side
Owens is scheduled to earn $3.25 million this season, meaning the four-game suspension would cost him almost $800,000.
The Eagles will have to pay Owens nearly $1 million to stay home the final five games.
Owens will either be traded or released after the season. He is due to receive a $5 million roster bonus in March 2006, so the Eagles will decide his fate before then.
Owens made more than $9 million last season, when he helped lead Philadelphia to the Super Bowl.
The Eagles are 4-4 this season. And McNabb, who feuded with Owens throughout the summer and has been a constant target of his criticism, finally took a stand in the matter, saying the team might be "better off" without Owens.
"Obviously it is tough losing a guy of his caliber, his ability, but I think we might be better off," McNabb said after throwing an interception that sealed the loss to Washington.
Team united
"I think what we did tonight, we showed that we played well together. I think we also showed that when given the opportunity, guys can make plays for us. We're 4-4. We're not 1-7. I think that's the way to look at it. For the guys in the locker room, we win together and we lose together," he said.
Asked to elaborate on how the team could be better off without its top receiver, McNabb emphasized the remaining players are united with the same goal of winning.
"Nothing against him and his attitude. It's just that when you get out there on the field, it's about playing together," McNabb said. "I think we all played with a lot of attitude and a lot of adrenaline. Guys played well together. It was unfortunate that we didn't win this game, but I think it may be a steppingstone for us to move forward."
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