Colts sign Kerry Collins as insurance at quarterback

The Indianapolis Colts agreed to terms Wednesday with Kerry Collins, making him the likely starter in case Peyton Manning isn’t healed completely from off-season neck surgery by the time the season begins Sept. 11 at Houston.

Not every player liked the move.

“We don’t even know him, we ain’t vanilla, man, we ain’t no simple offense,” receiver Reggie Wayne said. “So for him to can come in here and be the starter, I don’t see it. I think that’s a step back.”

Colts Coach Jim Caldwell wasn’t available to talk with reporters about Collins, but he struck a calm tone in a statement released by the team.

“He is a veteran quarterback who has started many games and he brings dimension and depth to the quarterback position, which will be helpful,” Caldwell said. “He is familiar with our division and will make a great addition to our roster.”

Yet the move is another indication that Manning’s streak of 227 consecutive starts, including playoff games, is in serious jeopardy.

Manning had surgery May 23 to repair a nerve in his neck, and the recovery has gone slower than expected, in part, Manning said, because he couldn’t work out with team trainers during the 4 1/2-month lockout.

Manning acknowledged Saturday that he did not expect to play in the final two preseason games and that he would need the next two weeks just to get healthy.

And if he’s not ready? Well, there’s Collins, who has played in 195 career games with Tennessee, New Orleans, the New York Giants, Oakland and Carolina before retiring in July. Backup Curtis Painter is another option.

Johnson meeting

Tennessee General Manager Mike Reinfeldt said Wednesday’s meeting with Chris Johnson was beneficial even though no deal was reached to end the running back’s holdout.

The GM expects to talk with the running back’s agent again in the “next day or so.”

Reinfeldt and Vin Marino, the Titans’ vice president of football administration, met Wednesday morning with Johnson and his agent Joel Segal.

“I’m not sure there was any progress made, but I do think it was beneficial to meet. We were able to discuss several different elements of a potential contract, but there was no agreement on those topics,” Reinfeldt said

Neither Johnson nor his agent immediately responded to messages from the Associated Press.

Goodell meetings

Kenny Britt said he had a good meeting with Roger Goodell and that the NFL commissioner promised him a decision as soon as possible on whether he’ll be punished in connection with recent arrests.

The Titans receiver met with Goodell in New York on Tuesday and was back on the field Wednesday. Britt said he wasn’t sure if he will be punished and was hoping to know the instant he walked out of Goodell’s office.

Britt was summoned to Goodell’s office after two arrests in New Jersey during the lockout and two arrest warrants in Tennessee for inaccurate information on his driver’s license applications. Those are part of seven incidents with police since Britt was drafted. The receiver said Goodell did tell him he’d better not see Britt’s face in his office again.

Also, cornerback Aqib Talib rejoined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after missing one day of practice to meet with about Talib’s role in an off-season shooting in Texas.

HGH impasse

The NFL and the players’ union remain at an impasse on HGH testing with just two weeks remaining before the season kicks off.

NFL lead counsel Jeff Pash told the Associated Press on Wednesday that the World Anti-Doping Agency, which would conduct the testing, “demonstrated to our satisfaction that there is very sound science and very thoughtful testing protocols” during a meeting in Montreal.

But a person familiar with the talks said the union was not satisfied with WADA’s information on the procedures it uses and the reliability of the blood test. WADA handles drug testing for the Olympics and is largely accepted as the gold standard for worldwide drug testing.

Etc.

The Arizona Cardinals shored up their depleted quarterback ranks by signing Brodie Croyle, in the process parting ways with Max Hall. Hall, who partially dislocated his left shoulder in practice Monday, was waived-injured, a move that could lead to an injury settlement with the second-year quarterback. … Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Brandon Siler tore an Achilles’ tendon during practice this week and is the latest to join a growing list of NFL players to sustain the season-ending injury. Siler was competing for the middle linebacker spot alongside Derrick Johnson after signing with the Chiefs as a free agent. … Minnesota Vikings right guard Anthony Herrera will start in the preseason game against Dallas on Saturday night, the first time he will play in a game since tearing the ACL in his left knee in November.