INDIANAPOLIS — Quarterback Peyton Manning won't play in the Indianapolis Colts' final exhibition game because of a sprain in his right knee, but is expected to be ready for the season-opener Sept. 9.
Manning was injured when Minnesota's Chris Hovan hit him in the second quarter of the Colts' 28-21 loss Friday night to the Vikings. Hovan rolled into Manning's leg, bending it awkwardly. Manning, who underwent an MRI Saturday, immediately reached for the knee, but stayed in for the rest of the half.
"He will be held out of the game as a precaution, but it is our full expectation that he will be ready for the season-opener against the New York Jets," Colts spokesman Craig Kelley said.
The Colts finish the preseason Thursday against Cincinnati.
Manning, who had to wear a dark visor over his facemask during practice last week because of an infection in his left eye, was 18-of-30 for 208 yards with two interceptions and a touchdown pass to Jerome Pathon against Minnesota.
"I got ice on it pretty quick," Manning said after the game. "Any time you get hit like that, it concerns you."
The two-time Pro Bowl selection also is not expected to practice this week.
He has been one of the NFL's most durable quarterbacks since entering the league, and his 23 wins over the last two seasons are the most in the league.
In his first three seasons, Manning has started all 48 games, the second-longest active streak among NFL quarterbacks. Green Bay's Brett Favre has made 141 consecutive starts.
Against Cincinnati, the Colts will go with backup Mark Rypien, signed July 31 after being out of the NFL the last three seasons.
Rypien, a former Super Bowl MVP, moved up to No. 2 on the depth chart this week but has not started a regular-season game since 1995. He played the entire second half Friday night, completing 17-of-22 passes for 183 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
It was Rypien's second solid performance in three preseason games, but his interception deep in Vikings territory in the closing seconds cost the Colts an opportunity to tie the score.
CHIEFS: Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Mike Maslowski will miss four to six weeks after injuring his left knee.
Maslowski, who had been battling for a starting position, strained his left knee on a special teams play Thursday in the Chiefs' preseason 28-23 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, head coach Dick Vermeil said Saturday.
Maslowski, 27, is a third-year professional from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
STEELERS: Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Chad Scott sprained his right medial collateral ligament Saturday in a 20-7 victory over Detroit. It was not immediately known how long he will be sidelined.
Coach Bill Cowher said Scott could return for the opener at Jacksonville on Sept. 9. Scott will have a magnetic resonance imaging test within the next couple of days.
Scott, the Steelers' 1997 first-round draft pick, missed the 1998 season after tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament during a springtime workout.
Scott signed a $25 million contract extension upon reporting to training camp last month.
The Steelers' other starting cornerback, Dewayne Washington, sat out Saturday with a concussion, so backups Deshea Townsend and Jason Simmons played much of the game.
JAGUARS: The Jacksonville Jaguars waived six players Saturday, including second-year quarterback Ted White and third-year tight end Ryan Neufeld.
One drafted rookie was waived, linebacker Anthony Denman, a seventh-round draft pick from Notre Dame. Also released were three free-agent rookies: defensive tackle Ryan Harklau from Iowa State; offensive tackle Jeff Long from Utah State; and guard Billy Young from Appalachian State.
Cornerback Evan Hlavacek, a first-year player from San Diego State, was placed on the reserve/left squad list.
White, a second-year player from Howard, saw action in two of the Jaguars' three preseason games, completing three of 10 passes for 60 yards. He was acquired by Jacksonville in April after being waived by Tampa Bay. White spent the 1999 season with Kansas City, but did not play.
Neufeld, a third-year player from UCLA, played three games for Jacksonville last season. He caught one pass for 8 yards this preseason.