Umenyiora's holdout lasts one day, but unhappiness still there

Two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora has ended his holdout after one day and reported to the New York Giants.

Umenyiora reported to training camp Saturday afternoon after missing the opening day at the team's headquarters in East Rutherford, N.J. He said during the summer that he was unhappy with the team because general manager Jerry Reese failed to live up to a promise to renegotiate his contact after last season.

"I'll be there today," Umenyiora said in an email to The Associated Press around 3:20 p.m. ET Saturday.

Neither Umenyiora nor Reese was immediately available for comment after the player reported around 4 p.m. NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora reported that Umenyiora hasn't lifted his request to be traded or receive a new contract.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin said he spoke briefly with Umenyiora and that the defensive end didn't have his physical because of his late-afternoon arrival.

Umenyiora started all 16 games during the 2010 season and led the NFL with 10 forced fumbles. His 11.5 sacks tied Justin Tuck for the team lead.

Tuck hinted earlier in the day that Umenyiora might return soon.

"I think he realizes this is a business, and he's doing what's best for him. You can't blame him for that," Tuck said. "A lot of people have different opinions on how to handle the situation. You might not see eye-to-eye with how he handled it. He has to do what's best for him. That's all I tell him to do. My biggest concern is that he doesn't do something that's going to hurt Osi."

Umenyiora ripped Reese in an affidavit filed by players as part of an antitrust suit against the league during the recent lockout.

Tuck believed the comments wouldn't be a problem.

"A couple years ago, Michael Strahan was in a similar situation," Tuck said. "He might've had a little bit more (leverage) being a future Hall of Famer. You've got to understand, we just got out of a tremendous business deal with just being able to come out here and play this game again. It is a business.

"I think a lot of people get caught up in the loyalty to the game and things of that nature like the Giants in this situation. We're definitely loyal to the team. But, in Osi's situation, he feels as though he needs to do this."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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49ers RB Gore to terminate holdout and report to team Monday

The San Francisco 49ers say running back Frank Gore will return to the team Monday after missing the first four days of training camp due to a holdout, the San Jose Mercury News reported.

A team spokesman confirmed late Sunday that Gore has spoken with coach Jim Harbaugh and has decided to practice while he attempts to negotiate a contract extension with the team. Gore is scheduled to earn $2.9 million in base salary and $2 million in a roster bonus during the final season of his current deal.

Under the terms of the NFL's new labor agreement, Gore is subject to $90,000 in fines for his holdout. The 49ers are off Monday, putting Gore back on the field with the team on Tuesday.

The former Miami Hurricane has led the 49ers in rushing in all six of his NFL seasons, but he is coming off a hip injury suffered in November.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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CJ2K unhappy with Titans, will be a contract holdout

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee running back Chris Johnson will not be reporting for training camp with the Titans until he gets a new contract, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity Friday because the decision had not been publicly announced.

The NFL free agency cycle is in full effect, with teams and players agreeing to terms fast as training camps open. Get the latest on all the news right here.

Johnson, a Florida native, said in 2010 he wanted a new deal that included $30 million guaranteed. The Titans revised his contract last offseason by pushing some money from the final year into 2010 to convince the running back to report. He is scheduled to make $800,000 in salary this season. Johnson said on Twitter on Friday that "Imma just leave it in god hands."

The Titans are scheduled to report for camp Friday with the first practice Saturday.

Johnson can be fined $30,000 for each day of camp he misses, but the three-time Pro Bowl running back wants to be rewarded for his production. He became only the sixth player in NFL history to run for at least 2,000 yards when he ran for 2,006 yards in 2009 and set an NFL record for yards from scrimmage that season with 2,509.

He followed that up by running for 1,364 yards in 2010 despite finishing the season with a bruised thigh. Johnson has started 46 of the 47 games he has played in since being drafted 24th overall in 2008 out of East Carolina and has 4,598 rushing yards with an average of 5.0 yards per carry in his career.

By comparison, DeAngelo Williams got a new deal from Carolina earlier this week worth $21 million in guaranteed money. He played only six games in 2010 and ran for 361 yards while dealing with injuries.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Mathis nixes holdout report, has no plans of being a 'cancer'

Veteran defensive end Robert Mathis downplayed a report Sunday suggesting that he won't play for the Indianapolis Colts under his existing contract.

Sports XChange stated that Mathis "has no intention of reporting" to the team until his contract situation is addressed. A source close to the eight-year veteran said: "He'll never play another snap there under that (existing) contract."

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Mathis took to Twitter on Sunday in response, saying he's "overpaid already" and adding that teammate Dwight Freeney "takes all the blockers."

"I have every intention (of) doing my job once the NFL gives us our job back," Mathis tweeted. "I never been a locker room cancer & wont start now."

Wrote Mathis: "im no dummy in #Business101 so why stir the pot knowing there's minimal interest in re-signing me rite now despite how I feel ... i take pride in being a leader. ... There's a time & place for all things and contract will take care of itself in route 2SuperBowl"

Mathis has netted $27 million of the five-year, $30 million extension that he signed in 2006, according to Sports XChange. Mathis is set to make $2.41 million in 2011 after racking up 11 sacks and 60 tackles last season.

Mathis has been a mainstay for the Colts since joining the team in 2003, pairing with Freeney to form one of the NFL's most imposing defensive duos. Mathis has 74 career sacks, with 32 over the past three seasons, making the Pro Bowl each time. Freeney has 34 sacks over that span.

The Colts selected Mathis in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft out of Alabama A&M.

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