Pierre is a free agent. Warner, who turns 39 in June, finished the 2009 season with a 66.1 completion rate, 26:14 TD-to-INT ratio, and 3,753 passing yards. He indicated to ESPN’s Rick Reilly last week that playing football had lost its fun. Look for the Cardinals to sign a veteran backup to push Leinart in the preseason.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

Minnesota: According to ESPN’s John Clayton, the Minnesota Vikings will “make a play” for Donovan McNabb if Brett Favre retires. The connection is obvious because Vikings head coach Brad Childress is McNabb’s former offensive coordinator in Philadelphia. Clayton suggests that the Vikings could offer up a second-round pick, but the Eagles may hold out a first-rounder. McNabb, 33, is entering the final year of his contract, but his presence would ensure that Minnesota remained Super Bowl contenders.

Miami: Joey Porter told a radio station in his hometown of Bakersfield, California that he hopes he doesn’t have to return to Miami. We’re fairly certain Porter will get his wish, especially with a $1M signing bonus due on top of his $3.6M base salary. The trash talker was unproductive this season, was essentially suspended for a game with pay and clashed with the coaches. His agent is set for a meeting with the  Miami Dolphins this week.

St. Louis: Beat writer Jim Thomas believes the Rams are “seriously considering” trading for Michael Vick. The Rams wouldn’t have to give up much to get Vick and adding him would allow them to focus on filling their many other gaping holes. Vick knows Rams GM Billy Devaney from their time together in Atlanta Falcons and would bring instant excitment/controversy to a dormant Rams franchise. His addition would likely also lock in Ndamukong Suh as the No. 1 overall draft pick.

New England: Wes Welker (torn ACL, MCL) is scheduled to have his knee reconstructed on Tuesday, February 2. The swelling in Welker’s knee has finally gone down enough for doctors to perform the procedure, but the four-week wait figures to cost him another month of next season. Doctors reportedly have not ruled Welker out for Week 1 of 2010, but the odds are stacked heavily against him being ready by then.

2010 NFL Draft: Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan says Idaho OG Mike Iupati is “obviously the best player” at the Senior Bowl. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about him, and it’s holding true,” said Linehan, who is coaching Iupati’s North squad. “You really notice him. He can do the double teams. He’s powerful. You see him pull.” The Detroit Lions have a gaping hole at left guard, though they’d likely need an additional first-round pick to get Iupati. He’ll be gone by Detroit’s second-round pick (No. 34).

Oakland Raider

A league source tells Profootballtalk.com that the Raiders still haven’t held any head coaching interviews. “Reports that we’ve interviewed prospective head coaches are totally untrue, totally false,” club spokesman John Herrera said Tuesday.

The SF Chronicle reported early Wednesday that the team interviewed Jim Fassel and CFL coach Marc Trestman. The Oakland Raiders are known to be in the process of setting up a visit for Ravens QBs coach Hue Jackson, whose hire could keep Tom Cable safe.

Jackson would work under Cable as offensive coordinator and playcaller. However, nobody truly knows what is going on behind closed doors as the Raiders are one of the most gossiped about NFL teams.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

Atlanta: Atlanta  Falcons hall-of-fame TE Tony Gonzalez confirmed Wednesday that he will return for a 14th season.

“Now that I’ve had a chance to get away from the game a little bit…I’m definitely going to be around for next year,” he said. The 34-year-old needs just one reception to get to 1,000 for his career.

Buffalo: Mike Lombardi of the National Football Post suggests that Buffalo Bills is now a possible landing spot for Michael Vick. Lombardi points out that new Bills coach Chan Gailey has worked extensively with athletic QBs: Kordell Stewart, Georgia Tech four-year starter Reggie Ball, and even Tyler Thigpen.

It’s debatable/uncertain whether Vick is even a league-average passer anymore, but he can’t be much worse of an option than Trent Edwards, Gibran Hamdan, Brian Brohm, or Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Arizona: Sounding like a player dead-set on retiring, Kurt Warner told ESPN’s Rick Reilly that playing football has lost its fun. “You have a game that isn’t that great and people are like, ‘What’s wrong with Warner?’

That wears on you,” Warner said. “You don’t have the joy and the fun and satisfaction of having one of those great games because everybody expects you to. You never get to exhale.” Warner, who turns 39 in June, has been named NFL MVP twice, played in three Super Bowls, and made a strong case for Hall-of-Fame enshrinement. It appears that Warner is currently leaning toward retirement.

Philadelphia: Eagles beat writer Les Bowen isn’t buying the report that Brian Westbrook’s troublesome left knee will force him to retire. Bowen says it sounds like B-West retiring is what the Birds’ front office hopes will happen. That way, it won’t be as ugly when they are forced to release one of their most popular players once again.

Carolina: Jonathan Stewart “tweeted” that he’s undergoing surgery on his foot Wednesday. Exact details aren’t available, but the procedure is likely related to his troublesome Achilles’ tendon, an injury that resulted from Stewart trying to overcompensate for his college turf toe.

Thomas’ ribs are only bruised, so he’s likely just being sat for precautionary reasons. Thomas should be ready for the playoffs, especially since the Saints have a first round bye.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

Pittsburg: Steelers WR Hines Ward (hamstring) is listed as probable for Week 17. He returned to a full practice on Friday, which is something of a surprise after the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Ward is dealing with two separate hamstring injuries. Ward won’t be 100 percent against the Miami Dolphins.

Atlanta: Tony Gonzalez (calf, questionable) returned to Atlanta Falcons practice Friday, albeit in a limited manner.
Gonzalez appears to be a game-time decision for Sunday’s tilt with the Bucs. We suspect that Gonzalez will be ready to play on Sunday.

New York: Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw (foot, questionable) was held out of Giants practice Friday. Last week Bradshaw was only listed as probable, which is a bad sign that his status for this week was downgraded. Even if Bradshaw was able to play on Sunday, he has a bad matchup against the Vikings.

Denver: Brandon Marshall (hamstring) has been ruled out for Week 17 against the Chiefs because of a coach’s decision. Coach Josh McDaniels interestingly said it was an accountability issue and Marshall didn’t want to play through his hamstring injury. The loss is a major blow to Denver’s offensive arsenal, as Marshall is the team’s only weapon at wide receiver.

Miami: Ricky Williams (questionable, shoulder) was limited in Friday’s practice. The Fins aren’t planning to give Ricky a full workload even if he’s active.

Oakland: Three Oakland Raiders were fined a total of $40,000 Thursday for their actions in last week’s penalty-filled game against the Cleveland Browns. Tight end Tony Stewart got hit with the biggest amount, being docked $25,000 for “making intentional physical contact with a game official.” Stewart said Monday he was arguing with the officials after he claimed he was punched by Cleveland linebacker Alex Hall on a kickoff return. Stewart said the official put his hand on his chest and Stewart pushed it aside, leading to the penalty and ejection.

New England: Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said he spoke with coach Bill Belichick this week about his desire to play Sunday against the Houston Texans, and relayed Belichick’s response. “You’ll play, don’t worry about that. You’ll be playing.” Yeah but how long will he play is the key. Not long is our guess.

Denver: The NFL has fined Denver Broncos receiver Brandon Stokley $25,000 for making contact with an official that led to his ejection from last weekend’s game at Philadelphia.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

San Francisco: Isaac Bruce stated in a conference call with St. Louis media Wednesday that there’s a “75 percent” change he’ll retire after this year. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “those who know Bruce say it’s closer to 100 percent.” The San Francisco 49ers do plan to let Bruce play in their season finale Sunday against the Rams, with whom Bruce spent nearly his entire career. It will be interesting to see if Bruce makes the Hall of Fame. While he does rank second all-time in receiving yards and fifth all-time in receptions, Bruce made only four Pro Bowls and was never named All Pro.

Miami: Dolphins placed ILB Channing Crowder on injured reserve with a “right foot injury,” ending his season. Early reports out of Miami Dolphins are Crowde suffered a Lisfranc foot fracture, which would jeopardize Crowder’s availability for 2010 training camp. Still only 26 years old, Crowder should be a Dolphin next season. He wraps up the year with a highly disappointing 51 tackles in 13 starts.

Minnesota: Vikings TE Visanthe Shiancoe missed Minnesota Vikings practice Wednesday with a thigh injury. He should be fine for this weekend, but he’s currently listed as questionable.

New York: QB Eli Manning’s foot injury kept him limited in Giants practice Wednesday. He is in no danger of missing the last game against the Vikings.

New York: WR Mario Manningham was held out of Giants practice Wednesday with a shoulder injury. This is the first we’ve heard of any injury so it shouldn’t be too serious. Look for him to start in week 17 against the Vikings.

Green Bay: Packers coach Mike McCarthy says he plans to play his starters and try to win the game on Sunday against Arizona. This goes for Aaron Rodgers, Ryan Grant, Greg Jennings and Donald Driver.

Atlanta: Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez (calf), QB Matt Ryan (toe), and RB Michael Turner (ankle) were all held out of Atlanta Falcons practice Wednesday. Ryan is the most likely of these three to play in Week 17 at Tampa Bay. Gonzalez never returned after straining his calf in the second half of last Sunday’s win, and sitting out practice indicates that the injury is serious. Turner probably should have been shut down for the year sometime ago.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

Houston: Texans RB Chris Brown has been named the Houston Texans new starting running back. Arian Foster looks to be his back-up. Ryan Moats has been relegated to third string as of now. Only Brown should be owned at this point but Foster could be an intriguing pick-up if Brown has fumbling issues.

Houston: Texans running back Steve Slaton is done for the season after being placed on injured reserve Wednesday because of a nerve issue in his neck.

Atlanta: Falcons QB Matt Ryan did not practice on Wednesday because of his turf toe, but the Atlanta Falcons believe that he might be able to start this weekend. The game against the Saints would be much more interesting if Ryan was able to play. Even if he does, he is too risky of a start for the fantasy playoffs.

Washington: Redskins Coach Jim Zorn announced Wednesday that Quinton Ganther has taken over as the Washington Redskins‘ starting tailback. Ganther has a favorable matchup as the Redskins will be traveling to Oakland. Rock Cartwright will go back to returning kicks.

Carolina: Panthers RB DeAngelo Williams (ankle) returned to Panthers practice Wednesday, participating in all phases of the workout. Jonathan Stewart’s one-week stint as Carolina’s every-down back is over. Williams, whose ankle sprain wasn’t severe in the first place, should be close to 100 percent for Sunday’s game against the Patriots.

Detroit: The Detroit Lions will start Daunte Culpepper at quarterback against the Ravens in Week 14.
Coach Jim Schwartz is smartly giving Matthew Stafford the week off to rest his dislocated non-throwing shoulder.

Pittsburg: Pittsburg Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall is listed as probable for Thursday night’s game against Cleveland with an ankle injury. Mendenhall has a great match-up against the 29th ranked run defense of the Browns.

Green Bay: Packers TE Jermichael Finley was limited in Packers practice Wednesday because of a knee injury. Coming off a breakout performance on Monday night, Finley is a TE1 against the Bears this weekend.

Jets @ Bills

Prediction: Jets 28, Bills 9. The Jets are too talented and too well coached to lose to the Bills, even with a rookie quarterback.

Eagles @ Falcons

Prediction: Eagles 24, Falcons 6. Half of the Atlanta Falcons team is hurt, enough said.

Rams @ Bears

Prediction: Bears 28, Rams 13. Look for Cutler to actually have a good game and for the Bears to runs up the score a bit.

Lions @ Bengals

Prediction: Bengals 17, Lions 3. The Bengals are in for the fight of their life to win the division, losing to the Lions is not an option.

Titans @ Colts

Prediction: Colts 27, Titans 17. I understand where that the upset alert has been issued, but the Indianapolis Colts at home are too bet against.

Broncos @ Chiefs

Prediction: Broncos 35, Chiefs 17. In another disgusting display of football, the Broncos will run up the score on the Chiefs.

Patriots @ Dolphins

Prediction: Patriots 27, Dolphins 14. The patriots get back on track with a solid road win.

Raiders @ Steelers

Prediction: Steelers 28, Raiders 10. Continuing with the theme that the Steelers play down to their competition, the upset alert should be issued for this game. However, I’m not brave enough to bet on it.

Saints @ Redskins

Prediction: Saints 28, Redskins 21. In a bit of a surprise, the Redskins keep it close.

Buccaneers @ Panthers

Prediction: Buccaneers 17, Panthers 13. In the upset of the week, if you can call it that, the Bucs pull off a surprise win.

Texans @ Jaguars

Prediction: Texans 20, Jaguars 17. The Texans have too much offense to lose this game.

Chargers @ Browns

Prediction: Chargers 28, Browns 14. I can tell the Browns what the Chargers are going to do (pass) and they still couldn’t win this game.

Cowboys @ Giants

Prediction: Cowboys 21, Giants 17. The Giants free-fall right out of the playoffs.

49ers @ Seahawks

Prediction: Seahawks 17, 49ers 16. In a bit of an upset, the Seahawks steal on at home.

Vikings @ Cardinals

Prediction: Vikings 31, Cardinals 21. The Vikings might be the best team in the league.

Ravens @ Packers

Prediction: Packers 21, Ravens 20. In perhaps the game of the week, the Packers win a close game at home.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

Seattle: Seahawks RB Justin Forsett injured his quadriceps in Seattle Seahawks practice Friday and is now listed as questionable for Week 13. The injury is being termed a quadriceps “strain.” “I think he’ll be OK, but I can’t tell you for sure,” Coach Jim Mora said. Forsett tried to downplay the injury, calling it a “little tweak,” but even if Forsett is able to play the upstart RB will have difficult times finding a hole on Sunday going against the 49ers top-five rushing defense.

Atlanta: NFL.com’s Steve Wyche reports that Michael Turner (ankle) is not expected to be active Sunday against the Eagles. Jason Snelling and Jerious Norwood will share the load against Philly’s top-eight run defense.

Atlanta: Falcons WR Roddy White (questionable) was limited in Falcons practice Friday. It was White’s third straight “limited” practice. Unless the Atlanta Falcons going to concede Sunday’s home game against the Eagles (unlikely) without Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, and possibly Michael Jenkins, however, White will be in the starting lineup. He’s been listed as questionable several times this season and routinely played through injuries. Consider White a strong WR2 fantasy option after confirming he’s active on Sunday morning.

Washington: According to the Washington Post, Clinton Portis (concussion) is a long shot to play in Week 14 against the Oakland Raiders. “He still has a little bit of dizziness or just not feeling right,” coach Jim Zorn said. Portis will meet with a specialist in Pittsburgh Monday, and it’s highly unlikely that he’ll be ready to return to game action later in the week.

Buffalo: Coach Perry Fewell confirmed that Fred Jackson remains the Bills lead back after Thursday night’s game. Asked why Marshawn Lynch didn’t receive more action after finally outproducing Jackson, Fewell responded: “Fred is still our featured back. We’re just trying to get our playmakers the football. It wasn’t a conscious effort to not give Marshawn the football.”

Arizona: Kurt Warner (questionable) shared practice reps with Matt Leinart again Friday, and will be a game-time decision in Week 13. Beat writer Kent Somers notes that Leinart “received more work in certain situations than usual” in Friday’s practice and Arizona is likely to be without starting LT Mike Gandy (pelvis).

Elsewhere around the NFL:

Detroit: Lions coach Jim Schwartz is expecting Calvin Johnson (hand, knee) and Matthew Stafford (knee) to be available for Sunday’s game at Cincinnati. Both players participated in team practice on Tuesday. “I’m optimistic both of them would be without limitation on Sunday,” said Schwartz. “At this time of the year, (they will be) about as full-speed as you can be. Everybody’s banged up or beat up a little bit.” Johnson and Stafford will have a tough matchup on Sunday as they will face off against the Bengals Pro Bowl caliber corners.

Pittsburg: Pittsburg Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger (concussion) is expected to start against the Raiders Sunday.
Roethlisberger has apparently been cleared by the neurologists and his coach is giving him the go ahead. Getting Roethlisberger back is obviously a huge upgrade for all the Steelers’ skill players even though they’ll be facing Nnamdi Asomugha and a decent Raiders secondary on Sunday.

Atlanta: The Falcons have released K Jason Elam. Elam missed four field goals from 39 yards out or closer this season, including two in the last three weeks. He turns 40 in March and is no longer a reasonable option on kickoffs. Matt Bryant is the Atlanta Falcons new kicker.

Carolina: Jake Delhomme is “unlikely” to play against the Bucs this week, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Schefter says Delhomme will sit because of his finger injury, but there’s a good chance he would have been benched anyway. Coach John Fox already said that Matt Moore would take the first-team reps on Wednesday while the turnover plagued Delhomme rests.

Philadelphia: Eagles signed TE Brent Celek to a six-year, $33 million extension. The deal includes $11 million in guaranteed money. The Philadelphia Eagles do a great job of locking up their young talent to long-term deals as Celek was set to become a free agent in 2011. He’s now in the fold through 2016. It’s a well-deserved extension for Celek, who has proven to be one of the better all-around tight ends in the league. At age 24 and in his first season as a full-time starter, he’s fifth in the league in receptions.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

Pittsburg: Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger (concussion) is out for Sunday night’s game against the Baltimore Ravens. FOX’s Jay Glazer reported that Big Ben was suffering from exercise-induced headaches and the team decided to hold him out. Dennis Dixon, a 2008 fifth-round pick out of Oregon, will get the start because normal No. 2 QB Charlie Batch (wrist) is also out.

Pittsburg: RB Willie Parker is listed as probable for week 12 with a hip injury. He’s nothing more than Rashard Mendenhall’s backup at this point.

New Orleans: Saints WR Lance Moore sat out New Orleans Saints practice Friday and is likely to miss his fourth straight game this weekend.

Minnesota: Vikings WR Bernard Berrian was back at full practice for the Vikings on Friday. Berrian is listed as probable with a hamstring injury, but he should start against the Bears this weekend.

Atlanta: Falcons RB Michael Turner (ankle) is expected to play Sunday, sources tell NFL.com’s Steve Wyche. Wyche is a reliable source as he used to cover the Atlanta Falcons for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Turner will still test his ankle sprain in warmups, but Wyche says there were enough positive signs in practice that the Falcons consider him probable to play.

Indianapolis: Dwight Freeney (abdomen) did not travel to Houston and will not play against the Texans.
It’s a little surprising because Freeney has been playing hurt for awhile now and the Colts never seemed too concerned about this injury. Freeney, who is currently No. 4 in the NFL with 9 1/2 sacks, will be missed when the Colts try to slow down Houston’s high powered offense on Sunday.

Carolina: Panthers WR Steve Smith was added to the injury report Saturday as “questionable” due to a rib injury. This is the first we’ve heard of any problems with Smith and anytime a player is added to the injury report on Saturday it’s a concern.

New England: Patriots RB Sammy Morris was limited in Patriots practice Friday. He’ll be a game-time decision for Monday night against the Saints with a knee injury. With as well as Laurence Maroney is running the ball these days, Morris is nothing more than a handcuff at this point.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

Indianapolis: Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning has returned to full practice from a glute injury and is probable for Sunday’s AFC South game at Houston. Manning had seen limited work Wednesday and Thursday before participating in the full workout on Friday.

Indianapolis: Colts WR Anthony Gonzalez (knee surgery) has been ruled out for Week 12. Gonzalez never did resume practicing this week, despite NFL.com’s Jason La Canfora reporting last week he would. He has no timetable to return

Seattle: Seahawks Head Coach Jim Mora revealed Friday that Julius Jones (ribs, lung) is still in pain and will be a game-time decision in Week 12. Jones was “limited” in Seattle Seahawks practice for the second straight day Friday. Even if Jones is able to play Sunday, expect the banged-up RB to only get 8-10 touches.

Detroit: Lions rookie TE Brandon Pettigrew is done for the season after an MRI revealed “significant damage” to his left knee. The extent of Pettigrew’s injury wasn’t revealed, but he likely tore ligaments and needs reconstructive surgery. The talented rookie finished the year with 31 catches for 352 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 11 starts.

St. Louis: Steven Jackson (back) was held out of St. Louis Rams practice for a third consecutive day Friday. While coach Steve Spagnuolo indicated that S-Jax could face Seattle without any practice reps, he’s waiting for pre-game warmups to decide his workhorse’s availability. “I think he’s been in the league long enough that he knows he doesn’t want to hurt the team,” Spags said. If you have Jackson on your fantasy team, make sure to check his status prior to kickoff.

Atlanta: Falcons RB Michael Turner (ankle) was limited in Atlanta Falcons practice for the third straight day Friday.
Despite Thursday’s report from Jay Glazer of FOX that the Falcons “think” Turner will return this week at Tampa Bay, but his playing status is not looking good at this point. Turner’s status should be check before the game as well.

He has a high ankle sprain, the Falcons are more secretive about injuries than most teams, and Turner was unable to practice in full all week. The good news is that the game starts at 1ET, so we’ll know Turner’s status early. Jason Snelling will not be a fantasy option if Turner is active.