Leinart Injures Shoulder in Loss

A shoulder injury to Arizona’s Matt Leinart dampened a showdown between two of the NFL’s quarterbacks of the future in Denver’s 29-23 exhibition victory over the Cardinals on Thursday night at Glendale, Ariz.

The left-handed Arizona rookie went out with a sprained right shoulder when he was sacked late in the third quarter.

An MRI exam is planned for today, but Leinart said the injury was no big deal. He said the shoulder popped out of its socket when he was hit, then back into place as he jogged off the field.

“It was kind of a fluke thing. It just got out of socket a little bit and as I was running off it was kind of hanging there, but I popped it back in and it was fine,” he said. “I could have gone back in and played if I had to.”

Before that, the game was a showcase for Leinart, the former USC Heisman Trophy winner who was the No. 10 pick in this year’s draft, and Denver’s Jay Cutler, the No. 11 pick.

Leinart, who came on in relief of starter Kurt Warner early in the second quarter, completed 10 of 15 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. Cutler, who started, was 12 of 18 for 190 yards.

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Receiver Terrell Owens made his return in the second quarter of Dallas’ 10-10 tie with the Minnesota Vikings at Irving, Texas. He was on the field for 19 plays and caught the only ball thrown his way, a six-yard sideline route.

“It felt good to run around and be with the guys,” Owens said. “Nice to get my hands on the ball.”

Dallas starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe left after getting hit in the head during the third series. Backup Tony Romo, who before the game got a $3.9-million contract extension through 2007 and a $2 million signing bonus, was 30 of 45 for 349 yards and two interceptions.

“He’s OK,” Coach Bill Parcells said of Bledsoe. “I think he could have kept playing if he would have wanted to.”

Minnesota cornerback Dovonte Edwards broke his right arm early in the game when hit by a teammate’s helmet.

Also Thursday, the Vikings acquired quarterback Brooks Bollinger from the New York Jets for defensive tackle C.J. Mosley and an undisclosed draft choice.

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Miami backup running back Sammy Morris will be suspended for the first four games of the regular season for violating the NFL’s steroid policy, two newspapers reported. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the Palm Beach Post, in stories posted on their websites, reported that Morris tested positive during the 2005 season for ephedrine, a banned stimulant.

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In other exhibitions, the defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks routed the Oakland Raiders, 30-7, at Seattle. Quarterback Jeff George, signed by Oakland on Monday, did not play.... Cleo Lemon, Miami’s No. 3 quarterback, completed 21 of 28 passes for 271 yards in the Dolphins’ 29-9 win over St. Louis at Miami.... Jacksonville defeated the Falcons, 20-17, at Atlanta, in a game in which neither team played any of its starters.... J.P. Losman completed all five of his passes in Buffalo’s 20-13 win over the Lions at Detroit.... The New York Giants beat New England, 31-23, at East Rutherford, N.J. The win gave the Giants a perfect 4-0 exhibition record for the first time since 1990, the last time they won the Super Bowl.... David Boston, who was signed in May, had six receptions for 77 yards in Houston’s 16-13 win over Tampa Bay at Houston.... Steve McNair completed his first touchdown pass of the exhibition season in Baltimore’s 17-10 win over Washington at Landover, Md.... John Kasay kicked his fifth field goal on the final play of the game that finished an unbeaten Carolina exhibition season and a winless one for Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh in the Panthers’ 15-13 victory at Pittsburgh.... Rex Grossman threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Desmond Clark -- the first touchdown by Chicago’s first-team offense in the exhibition season -- to lead the Bears to a 20-7 win over the Browns at Cleveland.... McKenzie Smith scored on a one-yard run in the fourth quarter and the Chiefs beat New Orleans, 10-9, at Kansas City, Mo.

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The Indianapolis Colts expect an update today on the condition of kicker Adam Vinatieri, who has an injured non-kicking foot and will probably miss the team’s final exhibition game. Vinatieri’s mother, Judy, told the Indianapolis Star that he told her several days ago that he had a broken foot, the newspaper reported on its website.

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The Jets traded tight end Doug Jolley to Tampa Bay for an undisclosed draft choice.... Pro Bowl tackle Willie Anderson signed a five-year contract extension with the Cincinnati Bengals.