NFL

Just when it seemed that Brandon Marshall turned the corner and was establishing himself as one of the top wide receivers in the league, Marshall and Denver Head Coach Josh are at odds over Marshall announcing to the media that he will not play on Sunday.

McDaniels announced Friday he’s benching Marshall, his Pro Bowl wide receiver, for the team’s pivotal season finale against Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. “Our word for the week has been accountability. And we’re looking to put the 45 guys on the field on Sunday that want to play together, want to help us try to win and qualify for the playoffs,” McDaniels said. ” … And anybody that showed any indifference to that, we’ll play without them.” Considering the latest rift happened during week 17, we could have seen the last of Marshall in a Denver uniform.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

Denver: Eddie Royal (neck/head) has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Chiefs. The Broncos will play without Brandon Marshall, Tony Scheffler and Royal. It’s turning into a terrible situation for Kyle Orton and a Denver Broncos team that is still alive in the playoff chase.

New Orleans: Saints QB Drew Brees will get some rest in the New Orleans Saints’ regular-season finale at Carolina, likely keeping his NFL-record completion percentage intact. Coach Sean Payton has decided to start Mark Brunell in place of the star quarterback for Sunday’s game.

New Orleans:Saints FS Darren Sharper (knee) will not play in Week 17. Sharper is just resting, along with the majority of the other Saints starters. He’ll be ready for the Saints’ playoff opener in two weeks.

San Diego: Billy Volek is expected to get his most extensive playing time in two years when the red-hot San Diego Chargers host the Washington Redskins in a meaningless regular-season finale Sunday.

Tennessee: The Titans are discussing the possibility of a new contract for Chris Johnson, according to ESPN’s Len Pasquarelli. Johnson, who is one of the leagues top backs, is scheduled to make only $550,000 in 2010 per his rookie deal. It would be a good idea to lock up Johnson if the Tennessee Titans had the opportunity and avoid franchising the speedy back when he reaches free agency.

Buffalo: The Bills are expected to interview Brian Billick and Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer about their head coaching vacancy, reports Yahoo’s Jason Cole.

Oakland: Raiders QB Bruce Gradkowski (torn MCLs) is out for Sunday’s season finale. It’s unfortunate that Gradkowski got hurt in Week 14 because the Raiders’ offense was showing signs of life with him under center. He doesn’t have much of an arm, but his mobility and decision making was leading to production.