Chiefs' Peterson resigns; Edwards' fate to be decided

Carl Peterson, who turned the Kansas City Chiefs into an NFL powerhouse in the 1990s, has resigned after nearly 20 years as president, CEO and general manager.

"I am proud of my association with the Kansas City Chiefs and our many accomplishments over the last 20 years," Peterson said in a statement released by the Chiefs. "I thank the Hunt family for the opportunity to lead the Chiefs organization and sincerely appreciate all the coaches, players, administrators and Chiefs employees with whom I've had the pleasure of working with in my time here."

Team chairman Clark Hunt said the future of coach Herm Edwards would be decided later.

The Chiefs are 2-12 after Sunday's loss to San Diego.

"I had a chance to meet with Herm earlier today and I told him I was very supportive of him and the job he's done in his approach to rebuilding the football team," Hunt said in an interview with the Associated Press and the Kansas City Star.

"Ultimately, the decision on his future and the rest of the coaching staff is one the new GM will have significant input into. It will be my decision, and we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

Peterson will serve out the remaining 2 weeks of the season and then Denny Thum, the Chiefs executive vice president, will be interim president.

During Peterson's 20 years at the helm, the Chiefs amassed a 176-141-1 record and won the AFC West four times.

Prior to joining the Chiefs, Peterson was director of player personnel with the Eagles from 1997-82. He then took over as president and general manager of the Philadelphia Stars, and the team became the most successful franchise in the 3-year history of the United States Football League.

* Dallas quarterback Tony Romo's back is sore and his status for practice tomorrow has not been determined. The Cowboys, however, expect him to play Saturday night against Baltimore.

* Tennessee defensive linemen Albert Haynesworth and Kyle Vanden Bosch are out until the playoffs, coach Jeff Fisher said. Haynesworth suffered an MCL sprain of his left knee when his leg was pinned and rolled on late in Sunday's loss in Houston. Vanden Bosch must have surgery to repair muscle that Fisher said was injured last week against Cleveland.

* Minnesota defensive tackle Pat Williams will miss anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks with a fractured shoulder.

* Buffalo coach Dick Jauron said he expects to be back because the Bills, who are 6-8, have given him no indication he won't return. In other news, Buffalo wide receiver James Hardy will miss the rest of the season after tearing a ligament in his left knee early in the first quarter against the Jets Sunday.

* New York Giants cornerback Corey Webster signed a 5-year, $43 million contract extension. Webster, who would have been a free agent at the end of the season, will receive $20 million in guaranteed money.

* Detroit (0-14), which visits New Orlans this weekend, is sticking with quarterback Dan Orlovsky. Detroit coach Rod Marinelli said Orlovsky would make his second straight start in part because Daunte Culpepper is questionable because of a shoulder injury.

* Daryl Smith, Jacksonville's starting middle linebacker, injured his groin Sunday against Green Bay and won't play Thursday night against Indianapolis. Mike Peterson will replace him.

* St. Louis wide receiver Derek Stanley will require reconstructive surgery in his left knee for an injury suffered on a lost fumble in Sunday's loss to the Seahawks.

* Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is likely to remain out for the third consecutive week when the Seahawks host the Jets Sunday. Coach Mike Holmgren said Hasselbeck has yet to pass doctors' tests for the bulging disk in his back. Seneca Wallace is set to start again.

* Washington coach Jim Zorn, saying he felt "like the worst coach in America," gave the Redskins the day off from practice after an embarrassing loss to Cincinnati on Sunday. Zorn said he was beginning a 2-day self-evaluation of the meltdown that has plummeted the Redskins (7-7) out of playoff race and prompted questions about his future.

* NFL owners may vote tomorrow on whether to accept the restructured ownership plan in which Pittsburgh chairman Dan Rooney and his son will buy most of the shares owned by other family members. *