The Atlanta Falcons signed former Jacksonville quarterback Byron Leftwich yesterday, giving the team immediate depth and a potential contender for the starting job.
"First of all, I'm a football player and the last couple of weeks have been tough on me," said Leftwich, who was cut the week before the season by the Jaguars. "I appreciate the opportunity and I look forward to doing whatever I can to help our team."
Leftwich's agent, Tom Condon, said the former first-round draft pick passed a physical, worked out for the team and signed a two-year, $7 million deal. Leftwich, 27, is set to join the Falcons for today's practice.
Joey Harrington, who took over as the starter when Michael Vick was suspended by the NFL, has lost his first two starts with Atlanta and the offense has scored only 10 points.
Eagles
In an interview with the HBO show "Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel," Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb, who has lost six of his past seven starts, said that African-American quarterbacks received more criticism than white quarterbacks and that they had to do a little bit extra because "the percentage of us playing this position, which people didn't want us to play this position, is low, so we do a little extra."
Cowboys
Suspended defensive tackle Tank Johnson signed a two-year contract with the Dallas.
Johnson, who played the last three seasons for the Chicago Bears, can't play for the Cowboys and won't be paid until he completes his eight-game NFL suspension for violating probation on a gun charge. He has served the first two games of that suspension and will still have to apply for reinstatement.
Johnson signed after visiting with the Cowboys and taking a physical. He will make about $255,000 this season, the prorated portion of a minimum contract
Seahawks
Jordan Babineaux signed a five-year extension with Seattle, opting not to test free agency in the offseason.
Jets
Placed Pro Bowl kick returner-cornerback Justin Miller on injured reserve because of a knee injury.
Elsewhere
In a testimony before a Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, pro football icons Gale Sayers, Mike Ditka and Daryl Johnston accused the NFL and its players union of turning their backs on hundreds of aging ex-players who have been denied disability assistance for devastating injuries.
"The system is broken," said Ditka. "Don't make proud men beg. Don't make them jump through hoops."
Garrett Webster told senators how he watched helplessly as his father Mike Webster, who died in 2002 after a 17-year career with the Steelers, steadily deteriorated in his later years and was once found shivering in a rat-infested hotel.
"Have any of you witnessed a once strong, proud man reduce himself to begging for Kentucky Fried Chicken?" Webster asked. "I have and I cannot forget."
First Published: September 19, 2007, 4:00 a.m.
