New $97 million deal gives Manning NFL’s top salary

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Eli Manning has agreed to a new six-year, $97 million contract extension with the New York Giants that will make him the highest paid player in the NFL with an average salary of roughly $15.3 million.

A source close to the talks said Manning is guaranteed $35 million under the deal that will keep him with the Giants through the 2015 season.

Tom Condon, Manning's agent, was not immediately available for comment. Giants General Manager Jerry Reese was hopeful that Manning's contract would be completed.

"He is a franchise quarterback," Reese said. "He has done everything we asked him to do. He has come in, taken a lot of flack from you guys [the media] and he just keeps going."

This deal will give Manning an average salary that is roughly $200,000 higher than the one earned by All-Pro cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha of the Oakland Raiders, who agreed to a three-year, $45.3 million contract this year.

Manning's older brother, Peyton, earns an average of $14.17 million annually with the Indianapolis Colts.

Eli Manning led the Giants to a Super Bowl upset of the New England Patriots in February 2008 and was named the game's MVP. He was in the final year of the contract he signed as the No. 1 overall pick in 2004 and will make $9.4 million under that deal this season.

Manning took over as the Giants starter midway through his rookie season, and he has led New York to the playoffs in each of the past four seasons.

Eagles DE Parker faces marijuana charge

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Juqua Parker was arrested on a marijuana possession charge yesterday near the team's training camp in northeast Pennsylvania.

Lower Saucon Township police said Parker was a passenger in a vehicle stopped for a traffic violation at 12:33 a.m. near Lehigh University, where the Eagles train.

Parker was carrying "a small amount of marijuana" and was taken to Northampton County Prison, police said. Parker was released after posting $1,000 bail.

Parker, 31, is listed as the team's starting left defensive end, but the Eagles regularly rotate their linemen.

Stallworth seeking return in meeting?

BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth, suspended indefinitely for killing a pedestrian while driving drunk, met in New York with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about a possible reinstatement, according to media reports.

Stallworth was recently released from jail after serving 24 days for a DUI conviction.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello would not confirm the meeting or give any timetable on a possible decision by Goodell.

In another Browns development, star wide receiver Braylon Edwards practiced yesterday after missing the first four days of training camp with an undisclosed injury. Cleared by the Browns' medical staff on Tuesday night, Edwards, who had been limited to mostly riding a stationary bike, rejoined his teammates and looked sharp during the two-hour workout.

Some teams clamp down on tweets

DAVIE, Fla. -- The only tweets during the Miami Dolphins scrimmage Saturday will come from the officials' whistles. The Dolphins are at the forefront of an NFL clampdown on Twitter and other social media, with new restrictions imposed on players, reporters and even spectators.

Miami's secretive Bill Parcells regime prohibits fans and media at training-camp practices from tweeting, blogging or texting. At least six other teams have also imposed such restrictions on reporters, even though the workouts are open to the public.

Twitter intolerance is no surprise in a league where paranoia is part of the playbook. Like many Americans, coaches are anxious and a little confused about the rapid pace of change in communication.

"I don't really have a Twitter policy," Denver coach Josh McDaniels said. "I don't know what it means; I don't know what it is. I don't know MyFace, Spacebook, Facebook stuff. I don't know what that is either."

Along with the Broncos and Dolphins, the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints and Detroit Lions don't allow reporting from the practice field.

Elsewhere

• The Atlanta Falcons were awaiting a medical report on Harry Douglas after the wide receiver left practice with an apparent knee injury. Douglas has received more work with the first-team offense in training camp while top receiver Roddy White is holding out for a new contract.

• Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz said tight end Casey FitzSimmons is out "longer than day to day" with an ankle injury, and rookie safety Louis Delmas was held out of morning practice with a sore knee. Schwartz did not set a timetable on FitzSimmons' possible return.

• Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson is practicing again with the Minnesota Vikings. Jackson said after yesterday's workout that his sprained left knee felt fine, and that he experienced no problems moving around during drills. Jackson was hurt on Saturday.

• Carolina placed starting defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu on injured reserve, ending his season the same day he underwent surgery on his torn right Achilles' tendon. The Panthers replaced him on the 80-man roster with undrafted rookie George Hypolite.

• Cincinnati placed tight end Reggie Kelly on injured reserve, ending his season. Kelly had surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles' tendon in his left leg. The starting tight end was injured during a non-contact drill two days earlier.

• Free agent fullback Reagan Maui'a signed a one-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals. Financial terms were not disclosed. Maui'a started two games last season for the Bengals and was inactive for three others after being claimed on waivers from the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 3.