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Around the NFC

BEARS: Kick returner Nate Jacquet agreed to a one-year contract, giving him a chance to make his fifth team in six seasons. He was on the Vikings' roster for parts of the past two seasons.

FALCONS: Quarterback Michael Vick threw passes and showed no signs of a sore left shoulder he tweaked during a passing drill Monday. "It's nothing serious," he said. "It felt like a stinger." Vick, the No. 1 pick in 2001, is going into his first season as a starter. Coach Dan Reeves hasn't decided how much Vick will play Friday night in the first preseason game against Jacksonville. ... Patrick Kerney, who led the team with 12 sacks last season, was back at end in the new 3-4 defensive scheme. Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said the depth at linebacker prompted the change. The Falcons have promoted rookie Will Overstreet to the first team at the weakside position, and Matt Stewart appears to have the inside track at strongside linebacker.

49ERS: The team will not be allowed to seek corporate sponsorship for the naming of Candlestick Park, a decision that could deprive the city and team of millions of dollars. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Monday night rejected a proposal to award the naming rights to the team.

PANTHERS: Coach John Fox ended practice early after a fight involving three players. Offensive lineman T.J. Washington got into a scuffle with defensive linemen Mike Rucker and Brentson Buckner about 30 minutes before morning practice was to end. After teammates broke up the scuffle, Fox called the players into a huddle, chewed them out and dismissed them until the afternoon session. "Sometimes, you can talk to people, but sometimes you've got to put the hammer down," Fox said. "Whether it's my football team or my kids, we all deal with it."

REDSKINS: Santana Dotson, signed about two months ago for the defensive line, ruptured his left Achilles' tendon during a pass-rush drill and will have surgery today. Trainer Dean Kleinschmidt said such injuries usually sideline a player for a season, but the Associated Press reported it could end Dotson's career after 10 years, in which he played for the Bucs and the Packers.

VIKINGS: Pro Bowl center Matt Birk said he's willing to switch to left tackle if first-round pick Bryant McKinnie continues his extended holdout. Birk played tackle at Harvard and in his first two seasons with the Vikings before switching to center in 2000. If coach Mike Tice moves him to left tackle and McKinnie reports, Birk would move back to center when McKinnie is ready to start.

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