Patriots’ Harrison set to be suspended

Rodney Harrison, the frequently fined strong safety who solidified the New England Patriots’ defense through consecutive Super Bowl victories, will sit out the first four games of the season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

“Tomorrow, the commissioner will announce I have been suspended,” a somber Harrison said in a hastily announced conference call with reporters on Friday night after ESPN.com reported that he had admitted obtaining human growth hormone.

“My purpose was never to gain a competitive edge,” he said. “Rather, my use was solely for the purpose of accelerating the healing process of injuries I sustained while playing football.”

Harrison did not take questions or confirm the banned substance involved.

“I want to make it clear that not once did I ever use steroids,” he said. “I did admit to the commissioner that I did, in fact, use a banned substance.”

The league issued a statement late Friday night confirming that Harrison is suspended without pay for four games, effective immediately.

He is eligible to return to the active roster on Tuesday, Oct. 2, following the previous night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the league said.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are parting ways with quarterback Byron Leftwich after four injury-filled seasons.

Coach Jack Del Rio said the team planned to trade or release the former first-round draft pick. Del Rio also named mobile backup David Garrard his starter heading into next week’s season opener, believing Garrard gives the team a better chance to win.

Garrard outplayed Leftwich during the exhibition season, completing 36 of 47 passes for 456 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for a touchdown. But his numbers came primarily against second-team defenses.

Leftwich, who sat out 10 games last season because of an ankle injury, was 19 of 38 for 226 yards and a touchdown in three exhibitions.

Seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan has decided to end his holdout and return for a 15th NFL season with the New York Giants.

The decision came a day before the Giants had to cut their roster to the 53-man limit and a little more than a week before the opener at Dallas.

Strahan left the West Coast on Friday and planned to be at Giants Stadium on Monday when the team begins preparing for the Cowboys. He will have four practices before the game.

The Houston Texans released 20 players, including receiver Keenan McCardell and Chad Stanley, the only punter in franchise history.

The Texans must release two more players to get to the league-mandated 53-player limit today.

McCardell was signed just before training camp to bolster Houston’s receiving group, but the emergence of third-round pick Jacoby Jones pushed the 37-year-old out of a job.

Stanley was beaten out by three-time Pro Bowler Matt Turk, who averaged 38.3 yards a punt last season with the St. Louis Rams.

Quarterbacks Carson Palmer and Peyton Manning did not play in the Cincinnati Bengals’ 14-6 victory over the Indianapolis Colts at Cincinnati. The Colts didn’t cross Cincinnati’s 20-yard line until the closing minutes of the game, when Josh Betts threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Craphonso Thorpe.

Baltimore running back Willis McGahee was one of the few players with name recognition to play in a game decided by second-string kickers at Atlanta. He gained 12 yards in four carries. Atlanta won, 13-10, when Matt Prater, in only his second day with the Falcons, kicked two fourth-quarter field goals.