Fisher Says Volek Lied

Coach Jeff Fisher lashed out at critics of the Tennessee Titans’ dealings with Billy Volek, saying Wednesday that Volek lied to him and never took advantage of the opportunity to be the starter.

The Titans finally traded Volek on Tuesday to the San Diego Chargers for a sixth-round draft pick that could become a fifth-rounder depending on playing time. Fisher said Volek asked to be traded the day the Titans signed Kerry Collins late last month.

“I never at any time in my career have gone into such detail,” about a trade, Fisher said. “But I felt the responsibility, as Billy felt he was thrown under the bus. Billy threw this organization under the bus, along with a number of his teammates.”

Volek inherited the quarterback job when the Titans traded Steve McNair to Baltimore in June. Fisher claimed it was in the first week after Volek was made the starter during the off-season that the quarterback lied to the coach.

Fisher wouldn’t say what the lie was.

“He was untruthful with me, untruthful with his head coach, about where he was and what he was doing. So we started off on the wrong page there, and that did not sit well with me,” Fisher said.

Volek was enjoying what he called a good start Wednesday in his first practice with the Chargers. He said Fisher’s comments surprised him and he had no clue why his former coach would say such things.

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Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith angrily responded to rumors that he’s coming back slowly from his hamstring injury as a ploy to get a new contract.

“For the people who are insulting me and this organization, who think I’m going to stoop down to that level, that’s not me,” Smith said. “There are a lot of other things I can be doing if I’m holding out. I can go home. I can go to the lake house with my family. I can do a lot of things more important than to make a [fool] out of myself and the organization. You’re foolish to think that.”

Still listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Smith did agility drills and some light running on an adjacent field while his team practiced Wednesday.

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Cleveland Browns Coach Romeo Crennel said he met with tight end Kellen Winslow, who told him “he thought he made a mistake” for going to the media on Monday to publicly criticize Cleveland’s coaches for not playing him during key third-down situations and for being too conservative.

Later, Winslow was asked if everything was cool between him and Crennel. “I’m not talking,” he said.

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After losing two home games to start the season, Brett Favre can understand why people might think he would welcome a trade to a contender. But Favre, who turns 37 next month, doesn’t necessarily believe that would be any better than staying in Green Bay.

“You know, it all, it sounds great,” Favre said. “But to learn a new system -- to basically start over -- the expectations would be so great. And people may say, ‘Well, say your season’s not going the way you would like it here, at least you could go somewhere else and take a chance at winning.’ Well, I’m taking that chance now.”

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Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis made it through the entire practice for the first time since his shoulder injury and appears set to return for Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans.... League MVP Shaun Alexander missed the Seattle Seahawks’ practice with a foot injury, but he is probable to start Sunday at running back against the New York Giants.... Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook missed practice because of a sore knee and is questionable for Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers.