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Packers’ Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr recovering from stroke

Green Bay Packers great Bart Starr is recovering from a mild stroke, his family says.
(David J. Phillip / Associated Press)
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Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr is recovering from a mild stroke.

Starr’s family said Wednesday in a statement released by the Green Bay Packers that the 80-year-old Starr had the stroke last week.

Starr “is very functional and making progress every day … and will be released as soon as he regains his full strength,” the family said. “Bart’s doctors are confident for a full recovery.”

Starr led the Packers to five NFL titles and two Super Bowl championships. He was Green Bay’s head coach from 1975-83.

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Starr, who lives in the Birmingham, Ala., area, was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1977.

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Green Bay starting running back Eddie Lacy sat out practice after suffering a concussion in last Thursday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

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The Arizona Cardinals confirmed that 36-year-old outside linebacker John Abraham, the game’s active sack leader with 133 1/2, has been granted a leave of absence and is considering retirement. Abraham sustained a concussion in Monday night’s season opener. Coach Bruce Arians said he had a long talk with Abraham on Tuesday and the concussion was not the main reason the player was contemplating retirement.

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Cleveland Browns starting running back Ben Tate will sit out this week’s home opener because of a knee sprain.

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Nick Hardwick, who had been a starter since his 2004 rookie season, might be near his career’s end after the San Diego Chargers put the 33-year-old center on injured reserve because of a recurring neck stinger. Hardwick had contemplated retirement in the off-season.

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St. Louis Rams defensive end Chris Long will undergo surgery and is expected to sit out most of the season after injuring his left ankle in the opening loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Long was hurt when he was stepped on from behind while tackling Vikings running back Adrian Peterson in the third quarter.

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Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Marqise Lee, a second-round draft pick from USC, left practice because of tightness in a hamstring. Cornerback Dwayne Gratz (ankle), tight end Marcedes Lewis (knee), a former UCLA standout, and running back Storm Johnson (ankle) also were limited in practice.

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Panthers quarterback Cam Newton said he’s feeling great and “absolutely” expects to start in Carolina’s home opener Sunday against the Detroit Lions.

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The Cincinnati Bengals promoted defensive tackle Devon Still to the 53-man roster after he had been out for four months because of a hamstring injury and his anguish over his 4-year-old daughter’s cancer diagnosis.

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Dee Milliner, the New York Jets’ top cornerback, returned to practice for the first time in a month after a high left ankle sprain kept him sidelined since Aug. 10. Milliner’s role was limited. His status for Sunday’s game remains uncertain.

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The Detroit Lions signed offensive lineman Garrett Reynolds, who has played the last four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons.

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The 32 player representatives to the players’ union have delayed a vote on the NFL’s proposal for changes to the drug policy that potentially could implement HGH testing.

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