NFL Fines Bill Romanowski $20,000

Denver Bronco linebacker Bill Romanowski was fined $20,000 by the NFL on Wednesday for a hit that broke the jaw of Carolina Panther quarterback Kerry Collins.

The league said Romanowski was being cited for “ramming Collins in the neck, chin and face area with his helmet in a manner that has been a point of emphasis by officials and prohibited since the beginning of the 1995 season.”

Collins was standing in the pocket and had just released a pass when he took a hard shot to the bottom of his face mask from Romanowski during an exhibition game Saturday.

Collins is expected to be sidelined for as much as six weeks.

The league conducted a review of the play because of its concern about helmet-to-helmet hits on quarterbacks when they are in the pocket and looking to pass.

“I think it was a textbook shot of why they have the rule,” Panther Coach Dom Capers said. “I’ve been a defensive coach my whole life, and there’s times that I’ve looked at these things and wondered about them. But we have the rule. The competition committee has voted on it. The rule is in. There’s reasons why you have every rule.”

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Kansas City quarterback Elvis Grbac, still nursing a strained abdominal muscle, probably will miss tonight’s exhibition game against the Panthers.

Grbac, who has taken only 11 snaps in the first two exhibition games, aggravated the injury in warmups Saturday against New Orleans.

Backup Rich Gannon, who started in last week’s 26-7 loss to the Saints, was expected to start against the Panthers as both teams look for their first exhibition victory.

Steve Beuerlein will probably play the first half for the Panthers. Jay Barker will probably play most of the second half.

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Nursing a slight stomach strain, Oakland quarterback Jeff George said he was able to give his passing arm a much-needed break.

George didn’t throw in a couple of practices, leading to speculation that something was wrong. After Wednesday morning’s workout at the team’s training camp in Napa, Calif., George revealed the strain but insisted it was no big deal.

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Marcus Allen, Ronnie Lott and businessman Richard Simon have filed a lawsuit against the NFL Players Assn., charging illegal seizure of a Super Bowl-related business, said Jack Brady, an attorney for Allen. The lawsuit alleges unlawful seizure of “The World’s Largest Super Bowl Party,” which was created by Allen, Lott, and Simon.