JACKSONVILLE - The Jaguars had their third heat-related injury of the preseason Wednesday when wide receiver Donald Hayes dropped to a knee at the end of practice.
The Jaguars had completed a 90-minute practice and were divided into position groups when Hayes began struggling with the 82-degree heat. Hayes, 28, never lost consciousness, but started to spasm from cramps.
Paramedics assisted the Jaguars' medical staff and gave IV fluids to Hayes, who weighs 220 pounds. He later was rushed into an ambulance before being transferred to Baptist Hospital.
Hayes was released from the hospital late Wednesday after receiving treatment. A Jaguars spokesman said Hayes' return to practice and his availability for Saturday's preseason game at Minnesota would be determined today or Friday.
"I don't have an answer for it," coach Jack Del Rio said, referring to the three incidents.
Defensive tackle Larry Smith collapsed July27 and was hospitalized overnight. Two days later, defensive tackle John Henderson was taken to Baptist Medical Center with shortness of breath. Both are back at practice, though Smith is limited to one practice a day.
"I just know we've done a lot of running the last three days," wide receiver J.J. Stokes said. "A lot of receivers are kind of hurt ... with nicks and dings and aren't able to perform. So it's a lot of running on all of us that are there."
The widow of Vikings lineman Korey Stringer sued the NFL, accusing the league of fostering a "deadly culture" of abusive exercise that contributed to her husband's death. A 335-pound Pro Bowl offensive lineman, Stringer collapsed two years ago at the Vikings' training camp.
Spasms sideline Fiedler
DAVIE - Starting quarterback Jay Fiedler did not finish morning practice because of what the Dolphins described as back spasms. It was unknown if he would practice today or play in Friday's preseason opener against the Bucs.
Coach Dave Wannstedt said he believes the injury occurred while Fiedler was stretching before practice. "If I can go, I can go," Fiedler said. "And if not, we'll play it one day at a time."
Wannstedt said he did not think the spasms would be a major problem and did not rule out Fiedler playing even if he misses practice today. Brian Griese, signed in the offseason as a backup, worked out with the offensive starters.
Chiefs OT out of hospital
CANTON, Ohio - Kansas City offensive tackle Willie Jones was released from the hospital, two days after spraining his neck and temporarily losing feeling in his body during a game. Jones was injured late in the first half of the Chiefs' 9-0 win Monday over the Packers in the Hall of Fame game.
Chiefs spokesman Bob Moore said Jones, who lost feeling in arms and legs, had improved enough to go home.
Moore said Jones will return to Kansas City for more medical evaluation. Jones was injured with 17 seconds left in the second quarter after briefly blocking linebacker Marcus Wilkins on a pass play.
RAIDERS TRIAL: The team's financial fate was handed to a jury in Sacramento, Calif., to decide whether the Raiders were cheated of hundreds of millions when they were wooed back from Los Angeles. The Raiders claim Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum officials tricked them into returning for 16 years by falsely promising a sold-out stadium.
The suit charges the coliseum, its chief negotiator Ed DeSilva and the now-defunct Arthur Andersen accounting firm with intentionally misleading the team. By the end of the contract in 2010, the team said it will have lost $833-million in ticket sales and diminished franchise value by moving to Oakland in 1995. The nine-woman, three-man jury heard testimony from 45 witnesses over 16 weeks and will have more than 600 pieces of evidence to consider in deliberations.
BROWNS: Safety Michael Jameson signed an extension through 2005. The 24-year-old played in 10 games last season after missing all of 2001 with a broken ankle.
COLTS: Backup quarterback Brock Huard broke a finger on his throwing hand and will miss about two weeks.
EAGLES: Coach Andy Reid says he has been unable to talk to holdout running back Duce Staley. "I've made an attempt to call Duce earlier, and I was denied the opportunity to talk to him, so I move on," Reid said. "I'm not going to go any further than that."
Staley led the Eagles with 1,029 yards rushing last season. He is in the final year of a contract that will pay $2.2-million. In the letter posted on his Web site, he said he wants to finish his career in Philadelphia. But the Eagles have a pair of young running backs in Correll Buckhalter and Brian Westbrook and are making it obvious they are not prepared to make a long-term commitment to Staley.
49ERS: Quarterback Jeff Garcia will skip Saturday's opener against Kansas City to rest his sore back, which he hurt in a workout a few days before training camp. Tim Rattay will start Saturday.
TEXANS: Starting center Steve McKinney sprained a ligament in his left knee during practice and will be out two to four weeks. The 6-foot-6, 301-pound McKinney had missed most of training camp with a strained groin.
TITANS: Tom Ackerman, the team's only experienced center, had right knee surgery and will miss two weeks. Justin Hartwig, moved to center from guard, will start Saturday against the Browns.
ARENA FOOTBALL: Former Bucs quarterback Steve DeBerg was named Indiana coach. DeBerg, 49, spent 18 seasons in the NFL, including 1984-87 and '92-93 with the Bucs. Since 2001, he has run a camp for college quarterbacks in Tampa. He takes over a team that was 13-17 the past two seasons under Mike Dailey, who was traded to Colorado for three players.
- Times staff writer Frank Pastor contributed to this report.
