Former Pro Bowl offensive tackle Marvel Smith has retired from the San Francisco 49ers after being plagued by back problems during training camp.

Smith missed practice Friday and the team announced his retirement yesterday. Coach Mike Singletary says Smith did not make the decision lightly and that the team appreciated he told them before the season started.

Smith won two Super Bowl rings with the Steelers and made the Pro Bowl in 2004. Smith started 108 regular-season games with the Steelers but only played five games last season. He had surgery on his back in November and missed the Super Bowl.

Smith signed a two-year deal with San Francisco in the offseason. He was losing his battle for the starting right tackle job to Adam Snyder.

Add former Pitt punter Andy Lee to the list of players who have kicked balls into the video boards hanging over the field at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

During warm-ups before a preseason game last night, Lee hit the board with one of his final kicks. He had a couple of other boots that came close, but most of his 15 or so kicks didn't.

Tampa Bay's extended quarterback derby is over. Byron Leftwich will start the regular-season opener against the Dallas Cowboys.

Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris selected the seventh-year pro over Luke McCown, saying Leftwich held an edge going into training camp and retained it with steady -- if unspectacular -- play through three preseason games.

A first-round draft pick by the Jaguars in 2003, Leftwich is 24-22 as a starter. He started two games in Atlanta after being released by Jacksonville late in training camp two years ago, then won a Super Bowl ring as Ben Roethlisberger's backup with the Steelers last season.

Coach Bill Belichick said quarterback Tom Brady left an exhibition game Friday night so the coaches could look at the backup -- not because of injury. The team had announced at the game that Brady had a sore right shoulder. Belichick said in a conference call yesterday it was a "football decision" to remove him.

Michael Vick will play in Philadelphia's final preseason game, and might even take some snaps as a conventional quarterback. How much Vick plays Thursday night against the Jets at the Meadowlands has yet to be determined. Vick was in for six wildcat plays Thursday against Jacksonville, throwing four times, running once and handing the ball off once.