Favre Will Get Richest Contract

Brett Favre said his agent is flying into Green Bay on Thursday night in hopes of wrapping up a contract extension that would make him the NFL’s highest-paid player.

The impending deal is worth between $44 million and $49 million over seven years and includes a signing bonus of between $10 million and $11 million.

Even on the low end, Favre’s deal would bump Detroit’s Barry Sanders, who signed a reported six-year, $34-million deal Sunday to become the league’s highest-paid player.

Favre’s attorney and Packer officials are working out the final details of the deal that would replace the last two years of the five-year, $19-million contract Favre signed in 1994.

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After three days wondering what forced Arizona star Simeon Rice to miss five practices, the Cardinals said the defensive end has a severe viral infection.

Team physician Wayne Kuhl did not say what type of infection Rice has contracted, but said it would have to run its course before he returns to the team.

The infection manifested itself Saturday as a splitting headache.

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Tackle Harris Barton pulled himself out of the San Francisco 49er training camp workout because of recurring knee soreness and will be sidelined indefinitely.

Barton, who was switched from the right side of the line to the left, has been bothered by pain in his left knee since the team’s mini-camp in May and later that month underwent arthroscopic surgery.

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The Washington Redskins’ weakest area got weaker when they learned that defensive lineman Chris Mims will be out two to six weeks after arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.

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The Philadelphia Eagles signed Jimmie Jones, a free-agent defensive linemen who started 14 games for St. Louis last season, to a one-year, $500,000 contract.

Jones, 31, earned $1.8 million last year with the Rams before falling victim to the salary cap.

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Fullback Marc Edwards, a second-round pick out of Notre Dame, reached agreement on a four-year contract with San Francisco.