NFL notes

— DOLPHINS-CHIEFS Two linemen traded

DAVIE, Fla. - The Miami Dolphins traded offensive linemen Andy Alleman and Ikechuku Ndukwe to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday for an undisclosed 2010 draft choice.

Ndukwe started 15 games at right guard for Miami last season after an injury to Donald Thomas. Alleman played in 15 games and made four starts last season.

Earlier Monday, the Dolphins terminated the contract of receiver Ernest Wilford and waived running back Anthony Kimble, nose tackle Joe Cohen and linebackers Orion Martin and Tearrius George. Receiver Chris Williams was waived injured.

Kansas City also waived offensive lineman Brian De La Puente and linebacker Vince Redd.

CARDINALS Brown out for season

TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona Cardinals second-round draft pick Cody Brown is out for the season with a dislocated left wrist.

The linebacker from Connecticut, the 63rd overall pick, was injured in the Cardinals' 17-6 preseason loss to the San Diego Chargers on Saturday night.

Coach Ken Whisenhunt said the wrist was put back into place after the game but will require surgery to repair ligament damage once the swelling goes down.

There was some good news, though, on Monday when Arizona's first-round draft pick, running back Beanie Wells, had his best workout since spraining his right ankle in his first training camp practice.

Brown, who started all 26 games as a junior and senior at Connecticut, played defensive end in college and was making the switch to outside linebacker with the Cardinals.

Brown was listed third on the depth chart behind starter Clark Haggans and Victor Hobson.

VIKINGS

Favre to play first half

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. - Brett Favre's crash course in all things Vikings ramps up this week, with Coach Brad Childress saying Monday he expects the 39-year old quarterback to play the entire first half of Minnesota's next exhibition game at Houston.

Favre signed last Tuesday, arriving with such fanfare that there was little time to fully prepare for his first appearance in purple, which came Friday night against Kansas City.

He played two series against the Chiefs, going 1 for 4 for 4 yards and no first downs.

The Vikings' third preseason game is next Monday night, and typically is when coaches play their starters the most. Childress said it will be important for Favre to get plenty of snaps to try to build chemistry with his offensive teammates before the regular season opens at Cleveland on Sept. 13.

Even though Favre missed more than two weeks of training camp, Childress said there was still plenty of time for him to catch up with the offense and learn his teammates' tendencies.

"He's doing everything he needs to do to get up to speed," Childress said, adding that he's "confident we've got the type [of team] and distance to be able to do that."

After the game Friday night, Favre said he "didn't miss a beat" calling the plays. He ran a nearly identical offense in Green Bay for 16 seasons and has said he knows the system so well that he could teach it.

Now that his first game with the Vikings is out of the way, the former Packers icon said he expects things to mellow out as the preseason progresses.

"Each day it has gotten a little bit smoother after all of the newness has worn off," Favre said after the 17-13 victory over the Chiefs. "It's really [become] just about football." PANTHERS

Safety has broken hand

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Carolina Panthers starting free safety Charles Godfrey underwent surgery Monday to repair a broken bone in his right hand, two days after he was injured in an exhibition loss to Miami.

Coach John Fox wouldn't say how long Godfrey, a 2008 third-round round pick from Iowa who started all 16 games last season, will be out. But with his backup, Nate Salley, still sidelined with a sore knee, the Panthers scrambled to sign veteran safety Kevin Kaesviharnon Monday.

Receiver Jason Carter was waived to make room for Kaesviharn, who was escorted to the practice field early in Carolina's practice.

Godfrey might be able to return for the regular-season opener wearing a cast, but Quinton Teal will likely immediately move into Carolina's starting lineup next to strong safety Chris Harris (Little Rock Fair).

CHARGERS Rivers gets extension

SAN DIEGO - Quarterback Philip Rivers signed a six-year contract extension Monday with the San Diego Chargers worth $93 million, with $38 million guaranteed.

A person familiar with the contract confirmed the numbers to The Associated Press, but requested anonymity because the team did not release any figures. The deal goes through 2015.

Rivers is coming off his best pro season, when he set a team record for touchdown passes with a league-high 34. He also led the NFL with a quarterback rating of 105.5, another team record.

Rivers led San Diego to the AFC Championship Game in 2007, where they lost to New England. He played that game despite having a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

Rivers became the starting quarterback in 2006. He's led the team to the playoffs in each of the past three seasons and has a career record as a starter, including playoffs, of 36-18. The 27-year-old Rivers is 22-5 at home and also holds the Chargers' record with a 92.9 career passer rating.

Preseason schedule THURSDAY'S GAMES - All times Central Jacksonville at Philadelphia, 6 p.m.

St. Louis at Cincinnati, 6:30 p.m.

Miami at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY'S GAMES New England at Washington, 7 p.m.

Green Bay at Arizona, 9 p.m.

Sports, Pages 17 on 08/25/2009

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