Commish orders meeting on concussions

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who disclosed last week that the NFL will make baseline neuropsychological tests mandatory for the 2007 season, is requiring all team medical personnel to attend a meeting on concussions next month.

NFL spokesman Joe Browne said yesterday that Goodell has ordered all 32 teams to send its doctors and trainers to a June 19 meeting in Chicago for the first league-wide concussion summit.

"At no time should competitive issues override medical issues," Goodell said last week. "Safety comes first."

Under Goodell's new policy, all players will be required to take a baseline neuropsychological test - determining cognitive abilities, memory and motor skills - by the start of the 2007 season. That way, when a player has a concussion, he can be tested to determine what neurological changes have taken place.

Some players have had baseline tests recently. Under the new policy, those players will not require another test. But those who haven't had a test will be required to have one. NFL officials said some teams administer those tests on a regular basis, while other teams administer the tests only after a concussion.

Goodell has acknowledged players often fight the medical staff to get back into games after suffering head injuries.

"We're protecting the players against the players," he said.

Concussions among NFL players have drawn attention in recent months. A forensic pathologist who studied the brain tissue of Andre Waters after his suicide last November concluded Waters had brain damage resulting from multiple concussions during 12 years as an NFL safety.

In addition, the Boston Globe and New York Times reported in February that 34-year-old Ted Johnson, who spent 10 years as a linebacker with the New England Patriots, shows early signs of Alzheimer's disease.

* A preliminary autopsy shows that former NFL linebacker Kevin Mitchell died of a massive heart attack.

Mitchell died in his sleep overnight Sunday at his home in Ashburn, Va., at age 36. He retired in 2003 after a 10-year NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers (1994-97), New Orleans Saints (1998-99) and Washington Redskins (2000-03).

* Seattle franchise player Josh Brown has signed his tender offer worth $2,078,000 - the average of the top five-paid kickers in the NFL - after the team could not reach a long-term deal with him.

Brown won four games last season in the final seconds. Some of his teammates called him their team's MVP in 2006. He has made 79 percent of his career field goals.

* The Cleveland Browns informed offensive guard Joe Andruzzi and his agent they plan to release the 10-year-veteran later this week. *