Shanahan Contract Extended

The Denver Broncos have given Coach Mike Shanahan a three-year contract extension, tying him to the franchise through 2008.

Team spokesman Jim Saccomano declined to discuss specifics, including salary. Coaches’ salaries are not filed with the NFL’s management council or the players’ association.

Shanahan, who had three years remaining on his previous deal, would be Denver’s head coach for 14 years if he serves out the remainder of his new contract. That would break Dan Reeves’ team record of 12 years.

Shanahan guided the Broncos to Super Bowl titles in the 1997 and 1998 seasons, but the Broncos have gone 34-30 since then with only one playoff appearance -- a first-round loss in 2000.

“Obviously, I am very comfortable and very happy about it,” Bronco owner Pat Bowlen said. “I’ve always felt that Mike was certainly the best head coach for Denver, if not the best head coach, period.”

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St. Louis’ Kim Herring returned a fumble 59 yards for a touchdown to help the Rams defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 26-16, in an exhibition game at St. Louis.

Quarterback Kurt Warner was perfect on his only drive of the game, going seven for seven for 55 yards to set up a field goal for the Rams.

Sideline official Marvin Williams, a member of the chain gang, was taken off the field on a stretcher after being struck in the left temple by a kicked ball before the game. X-rays of his neck were negative.

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Cornerback Otis Smith, a 13-year veteran and a key contributor to New England’s 2002 Super Bowl championship, was released by the Patriots after he struggled to recover from a shoulder injury.

Smith was injured in December, when he hurt his shoulder in the fourth quarter of New England’s 24-7 loss to Tennessee. He has not practiced this summer.

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The Houston Texans received bad news when team doctors confirmed that second-year fullback Jarrod Baxter will miss the season because of a severe sprain in the middle of his left foot.

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Rashard Cook, a backup safety and key special teams player who missed most of last season with a knee injury, signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Carolina Panther linebacker Mark Fields has been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease and will miss the entire season, the team said Sunday.

Fields, 30, was hospitalized last week when a cut on his thumb became infected and didn’t heal. Further tests detected Hodgkin’s disease.

Fields led Carolina with a career-high 127 tackles last season. He had a team-record seven forced fumbles on a defense ranked second in the NFL. He also had 7.5 sacks.

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The New Orleans Saints, still looking for a backup running back in the last week of training camp, brought in former No. 1 draft pick Ki-Jana Carter. Carter was cut by the Packers last year when Green Bay made its cuts to reach the limit of 65.

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After being televised by ABC for the last nine seasons, the Pro Bowl is moving back to ESPN, which televised the game from 1988 to 1994. This season’s Pro Bowl will be on Feb. 8. Calling the game will be the ESPN announcing team of Mike Patrick, Paul Maguire and Joe Theismann.... Rookie running back Lee Suggs failed his physical and cannot yet practice with the Cleveland Browns. Suggs underwent shoulder surgery in May.