COWBOYS Spencer out
IRVING, Texas - Dallas defensive end Anthony Spencer will have season-ending surgery on his left knee and may have played his last game for the Cowboys.
Spencer’s agent, Jordan Woy, says doctors have a “good idea” what type of surgery but were still considering options. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on his radio show that Spencer was likely to have microfracture surgery.
The 29-year-old Spencer is on a one-year contract with the franchise tag for the second consecutive season, so he will be a free agent when he’s healthy again.
Spencer had arthroscopic surgery July 25 and missed the preseason and the opener against the Giants. He played more than half the game in Week 2 against Kansas City before he was sidelined again.
RAIDERS
Quarterback uncertain
ALAMEDA, Calif. - The Oakland Raiders will begin a short week of preparation with uncertainty about who will start at quarterback as Terrelle Pryor recovers from a concussion.
Pryor was knocked out of Monday night’s 37-21 loss at Denver in the fourth quarter after a hard hit to the helmet by Wesley Woodyard and was replaced by Matt Flynn.
Pryor will not be able to practice until he goes through the league-mandated concussion protocol. That means the Raiders (1-2) will have to prepare for Sunday’s game against Washington (0-3) with the possibility that either Pryor or Flynn could start.
Coach Dennis Allen said he will have a better idea today about Pryor’s status, but that no final determination will be made until later this week.
CHIEFS
Guard added to roster
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City Chiefs have elevated offensive guard Rishaw Johnson from the practice squad to the 53-man roster and waived linebacker Josh Martin.
The Chiefs are thin on the interior of the line after left guard Jeff Allen injured his groin Thursday night in Philadelphia. Allen did not practice Monday.
Johnson entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Seahawks last season. He was released by Seattle in August and signed by the Chiefs earlier this month.
Martin was a surprise when he made the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent out of Columbia. He was inactive for the team’s first three games.
BILLS Lineman returns
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - The Buffalo Bills are bringing back defensive lineman Jay Ross two weeks after cutting him.
Ross was re-signed Tuesday, a day after defensive end Alex Carrington (Arkansas State) was placed on season-ending injured reserve because of a torn left quadriceps. Ross spent parts of the past two seasons on Buffalo’s practice squad.
He had made the Bills opening-week roster before being cut Sept. 10, when the team promoted cornerback Johnny Adams from the practice squad.
In a separate move Tuesday, the Bills signed defensive end Adewale Ojomo to the practice squad and released defensive end Izaan Cross.
An undrafted free agent out of Miami, Ojomo played one game last season with the New York Giants.
The Bills (1-2) host Baltimore (2-1) on Sunday.
CARDINALS Linebacker added
TEMPE, Ariz. - The Arizona Cardinals have signed well-traveled linebacker Vic So’oto to shore up a position severely depleted by injury.
The Cardinals lost both starting outside linebackers - Sam Acho and Lorenzo Alexander - to season-ending injuries in Sunday’s loss at New Orleans.
So’oto was with the Washington Redskins in the preseason but was released in that team’s final roster cut Aug. 31. He has played in 12 NFL games in his career.
So’oto first signed with Green Bay as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2011. Last year, he played with Washington, Oakland and the Packers.
In addition, Arizona signed linebacker Bruce Taylor to the practice squad. Taylor, an undrafted free agent, was released by Cincinnati in the preseason.
PANTHERS
Lineup change works
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Coach Ron Rivera says he isn’t sure if three time Pro Bowl linebacker Jon Beason will return to the starting lineup Oct. 6 when the Panthers visit the Arizona Cardinals.
Carolina (1-2) has a bye this week.
Rivera quietly changed up the starting lineup on Sunday, replacing Beason - who’s struggling to get back healthy following knee surgery last October - with veteran Chase Blackburn at weak side linebacker.
The move worked out well as the Panthers sacked Eli Manning seven times and forced three turnovers in a 38-0 rout of the New York Giants.
Beason only played one snap on defense.
While it’s hard to imagine Rivera making a change following a shutout, he left his options open, saying “we’ll have to wait and see” who will start against Arizona.
DOLPHINS Defensive lineman signs
DAVIE, Fla. - Defensive tackle Marvin Austin has signed with the Miami Dolphins, who placed backup defensive lineman Vaughn Martin on the reserve-injured list.
The 312-pound Austin was a second-round pick by the New York Giants in 2011, but he battled injuries and played in just eight games with them, all in 2012.
This week’s games All times Central
THURSDAY San Francisco at St. Louis, 7:25 p.m.
SUNDAY NY Giants at Kansas City, noon Seattle at Houston, noon Baltimore at Buffalo, noon Arizona at Tampa Bay, noon Indianapolis at Jacksonville, noon Cincinnati at Cleveland, noon Chicago at Detroit, noon Pittsburgh vs. Minnesota at London, noon NY Jets at Tennessee, 3:05 p.m.
Washington at Oakland, 3:25 p.m.
Dallas at San Diego, 3:25 p.m.
Philadelphia at Denver, 3:25 p.m.
New England at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.
Open: Carolina, Green Bay
MONDAY Miami at New Orleans, 7:40 p.m.
Sports, Pages 21 on 09/25/2013