Patriots Reportedly Ready to Move

New England Patriot owner Robert Kraft is likely to announce within 48 hours that he will move the team to Hartford, Conn., the Associated Press reported Wednesday night.

ESPN and WBZ-TV and WEEI radio in Boston also reported that a deal had been reached to move the team from Foxboro Stadium near Boston to a new 65,000-seat, $350-million stadium to be completed for the 2001 season.

Any deal to move the Patriots must be approved by NFL owners.

“The talks are serious, but they are not there yet,” Hartford Mayor Michael Peters said.

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The Cincinnati Bengals benched quarterback Neil O’Donnell on Wednesday and gave third-stringer Paul Justin a chance to show what he can do.

The Bengals have scored only two field goals and one touchdown in their last two games.

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Denver Bronco quarterback John Elway reported improvement of his rib injury and said he planned to play Sunday against the Oakland Raiders. Elway sat out Monday’s victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. . . . Fullback Craig Heyward of the Indianapolis Colts, recuperating from surgery for a benign tumor on his brain, was moved out of the intensive care unit at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. Heyward’s condition was upgraded to fair, and he may be discharged in a few days, a hospital spokeswoman said.

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St. Louis Ram rookie linebacker Leonard Little, facing involuntary manslaughter charges in a fatal car wreck, won’t play for the rest of the season.

The Rams placed Little on the non-football injury list, a designation normally for players who are injured in an accident or sustain an injury away from football.

Little was not hurt in the Oct. 19 accident in which a St. Louis County woman was killed.

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Kent Graham will replace Danny Kanell as the New York Giants’ starting quarterback against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. The Giants have not scored a touchdown in nine quarters. . . . The Oakland Raiders waived special teams leader John Henry Mills from the injured reserve list and placed cornerback Eric Allen (torn left knee ligament), on injured reserve. The Raiders also signed defensive back Bucky Brooks, who last played for Kansas City.