A federal jury in San Francisco yesterday ordered the NFL Players Association to pay $28.1 million to retired players after finding the union failed to properly market their images. The figure includes $21 million in punitive damages, just short of the $21.9 million award the players' lawyer had asked of the jury to reflect roughly 10 percent of the union's net worth at the start of the year.

A union lawyer had urged the jury to award a far lesser amount so as not to damage the union's ability to represent its members.

Hall of Fame cornerback Herb Adderley filed the lawsuit last year on behalf of 2,056 retired players who contend the union failed to actively pursue marketing deals on their behalf with video games, trading cards and others sports products.

Adderley, 69, played cornerback for the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys and appeared in four of the first six Super Bowls.

The retirees' lawyer, Ronald Katz, urged the jury to punish the union with a large award to "change their conduct." Katz said longtime union chief Gene Upshaw and his deputy "betrayed the trust of their members" by neglecting the retired players, who pay $50 a year to keep their union membership. Upshaw died of cancer in August.

Ty Law, 34, is back with New York, just in time to play against the New England Patriots. Law, five-time Pro Bowl cornerback from Aliquippa, agreed to terms on a one-year deal after sitting out the first 10 weeks of the season as a free agent.

Running back Clinton Portis was unable to practice because of a sprained knee, and coach Jim Zorn said the running back is "50-50" for a game Sunday night against Dallas. Portis' knee was bruised on the final play of the first quarter against the Steelers last week but returned for the next series and finished the game.

Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is ready to make his first start in six weeks Sunday when Seattle plays first-place Arizona. Coach Mike Holmgren said his three-time Pro Bowl quarterback has been cleared to practice with the starting offense tomorrow. Barring the unforeseen, Hasselbeck will then start his first game since he his right knee was hyperextended in a loss Oct. 5 at the New York Giants.

With seven games left, there's no indication that quarterback Carson Palmer will play in any of them. Cincinnait acknowledged that Palmer will miss his fifth consecutive game because of an injured passing elbow. Ryan Fitzpatrick will start in his place Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Cornerback Mike McKenzie's fractured right kneecap will keep him out for the rest of the season. Coming back from a right knee ligament tear late in 2007, McKenzie sat out New Orleans' first two games of the regular season but played in the past seven and started six.

A Kansas woman filed a lawsuit against running back Larry Johnson a month after claiming he spit a drink in her face at a bar and threatened to kill her and her boyfriend. The lawsuit, filed by Ashley N. Stewart, 24, accuses the two-time Pro Bowler of negligence, assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress. An attorney for Johnson called the allegations "preposterous."

A man accused of shooting offensive lineman Richard Collier 14 times Sept. 2 pleaded not guilty at his arraignment and was being held without bond. As a result of the shooting, Collier was paralyzed below the waist and had to have his left leg amputated below the knee.