Warren Receives Warning

The NFL warned Cleveland Brown defensive tackle Gerard Warren for comments he made that implied he would try to hit Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the head in Sunday’s game.

“We notified the team, including Gerard Warren, that if a player commits a flagrant foul after making such a statement, it may be a decisive factor supporting the suspension of the player, depending on the entire set of circumstances,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said.

Warren told reporters Thursday that the Browns needed to rattle Roethlisberger.

“One rule they used to tell me: Kill the head and the body’s dead,” Warren said.

On Friday, Warren said he was not speaking for the Cleveland organization.

“People might have taken it in the wrong sense,” he said. “That’s just me and explaining the way I approach football. I play it on a violent level and it’s a violent game.”

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Carolina Panther running back Stephen Davis will not play Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. It will be the seventh game he has sat out this season because of swelling in his knee.

In another blow to the Panther running game, Davis’ primary backup, rookie Joey Harris, pulled a hamstring in practice Friday and is questionable.

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Minnesota Viking linebacker Raonall Smith will sit out at least two more games because of concussions suffered in his last two games.... Tampa Bay Buccaneer safety Jermaine Phillips agreed to a four-year, $9-million contract extension with a $1 million signing bonus. Phillips is third on the team with 61 tackles and has one sack and one interception.... Pittsburgh Steeler running back Duce Staley sat out practice for the third straight day because of a sore hamstring and remained questionable for Sunday’s game in Cleveland. Verron Haynes, who often replaces Staley on third downs, was also held out Friday because of a turf toe.