nfl notebook | News & notes

Jets: Plaxico Burress had his first significant practice workload with the New York Jets, participating in about a dozen team drills after being limited by a sprained left ankle. Coach Rex Ryan thinks “without question” that the wide receiver will play in New York’s next preseason game against Cincinnati on Sunday. Burress worked with the first-team offense Wednesday during 11-on-11 drills and caught his first pass of camp in team practices, a short toss from Mark Sanchez. The wide receiver says he thought the practice went “pretty well” and says he felt great and “it feels like football.” Burress signed with the Jets on July 31 after serving 20 months in prison on a gun charge. He was limited by the ankle, which he sprained while running routes two weeks ago. “I don’t see why I shouldn’t be full go [Sunday],” Burress said.

Rams: St. Louis running back Steven Jackson plans on playing in the Rams’ second preseason game, even though he’s missed most of the last two practices because of a sore hip. Jackson said the injury is trivial and that trainers are just being cautious. He plans on fully participating in today’s practice.

Eagles: Philadelphia wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, who still hasn’t practiced yet, has been cleared to return to the team after a cancer scare, trainer Rick Burkholder said Wednesday. Barring a setback, Maclin will return to practice within 10 days and should be able to play in the Sept. 11 opener at St. Louis. Burkholder said Maclin began experiencing symptoms — night sweats, fever, loss of weight, loss of appetite — in March, synonomous with lymphoma, a form of cancer. But five months of testing to determine the cause were inconclusive.

Burkholder said Maclin’s symptoms disappeared at some point before late July. He said the cause of the symptoms remains “vague. We’re confident that the life-threatening stuff is out of the mix. Right now, we’re going to look at him as having an inflammatory condition that caused him to have the symptoms and the abnormal blood studies.”

49ers: The San Francisco 49ers have added a veteran to the quarterback competition, signing Josh McCown to a one-year deal for the league minimum of $810,000. McCown already was on the field throwing passes during Wednesday’s practice and wearing No. 9. The 32-year-old was with the United Football League’s Hartford Colonials last year. McCown spent eight seasons in the NFL, including the first four with the Arizona Cardinals. He also played for Detroit, Oakland and Carolina. While new coach Jim Harbaugh still considers the quarterback job Alex Smith’s to lose, nobody has earned the position in training camp thus far. The 49ers had worked out Daunte Culpepper this week.

Associated Press