Colts hoping Pagano returns to sideline next week
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Colts hope head coach Chuck Pagano will be back on the sideline next week.
While no official announcement has been made by the team, Colts interim coach Bruce Arians and others have pegged the Dec. 30 regular-season finale against Houston as Pagano’s possible return date. He has not been on the sideline since late September after starting the first of three rounds of chemotherapy in his battle against leukemia.
Players, assistant coaches and team officials are eagerly anticipating Pagano’s return, which could come as early as Monday.
Arians said this week that Pagano “felt great” and “looked good” and his white blood-cell counts were good — all indications he could be return next week. On Wednesday, he referred to Pagano’s possible return as a nice “Christmas present.”
Richardson says Saban likely won’t bolt for NFL
BEREA, Ohio — Trent Richardson doesn’t think Nick Saban will follow him from Alabama to the Cleveland Browns.
Saban, who will lead the Crimson Tide against Notre Dame in the BCS national championship game in Miami on Jan. 7, has been mentioned as a possible replacement in Cleveland if the Browns fire second-year coach Pat Shurmur at season’s end.
Richardson, a running back who ran for 1,679 yards with Alabama last season, dismissed the talk as mere rumors and said after practice Wednesday that from what he knows of Saban, he would be “shocked” if he went to any NFL team.
Richardson said he was more concerned with playing the playoff-bound Denver Broncos (11-3) on Sunday. The No. 3 overall pick is 46 yards shy of surpassing Hall of Fame standout Jim Brown’s 55-year-old rookie rushing record of 942 yards for the Browns (5-9).
QB Griffin takes full practice for Redskins
ASHBURN, Va. — Robert Griffin III has taken part in his first full practice since spraining his right knee.
The Washington Redskins quarterback said he did all of his usual work Wednesday as the team held its first workout ahead of this week’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Coach Mike Shanahan said doctors will examine Griffin’s knee today to see if there’s any swelling. He could then be cleared to play against the Eagles.
Griffin was limited in practice last week and was held out of Sunday’s 38-21 win over the Cleveland Browns. He wanted to play, but Shanahan said doctors did not give their OK.
Washington has won five in a row to move into a three-way tie atop the NFC East with an 8-6 record, matching the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys.
