Packers’ Jervey Out for Season

The Green Bay Packers’ woes at running back took another downturn when Travis Jervey was lost for the season because of a broken left ankle.

Jervey was hurt in Monday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a game in which the Packers rushed for only 39 yards. Jervey started five games, replacing Dorsey Levens, who broke his right leg Sept. 13 against Tampa Bay.

Jervey’s loss leaves Raymont Harris and Darick Holmes, neither of whom was with the team a year ago, at running back, along with fullback William Henderson for Sunday’s game against the Giants in New York.

Coach Mike Holmgren said the team hopes to have Levens back in December.

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The New Orleans Saints locked up another of their key starters by signing linebacker Mark Fields to a five-year contract extension.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it was reported that the contract was worth more than $25 million, a figure that would put Fields, 26, on a par with the top NFL players at his position, such as Levon Kirkland of Pittsburgh, Derrick Thomas of Kansas City and Junior Seau of the San Diego Chargers.

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The Carolina Panthers, mired in a 1-8 season, received more bad news when they learned that starting cornerback Doug Evans will be sidelined at least six weeks because of a separated right shoulder suffered in Sunday’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

With only seven games left in the regular season, the Panthers will likely place Evans on injured reserve.

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Washington Redskin reserve linebacker Patrise Alexander, whose illegal block negated a 100-yard touchdown by Brian Mitchell on the opening kickoff of last Sunday’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals, was waived.