NFL Notebook: Panthers sign Kasay to contract extension

■ Panthers: Carolina signed kicker John Kasay to a four-year contract extension yesterday.

Kasay, who turned 39 on Monday, is in the middle of one of the best seasons of his 18-year career. He has made all 16 field-goal attempts, including a season-best 50-yarder Sunday in a 27-23 win against Arizona, and has converted all 18 extra-point attempts. He has made 21 straight field-goal attempts dating to last season.

Kasay is the lone remaining player from the Panthers' expansion roster in 1995.

"I can't say that I thought I'd be standing here," Kasay said at a news conference. "I just turned 39 the other day. Announcing that I'd signed a contract like that -- I figured a few years ago that it'd probably be more of a retirement speech. But I've been very blessed and very thankful.

"To have the opportunity to still do the very same thing that I was doing when I was 12 years old, I wouldn't have guessed it in a million years. It's been a huge blessing. God blessed me and my family, and it's still fun."

The announcement came after the Panthers' final practice of the week. They have an open date this weekend and won't play again until Nov. 9 at Oakland.

-- John Delong

■ Patriots: Defensive tackle Vince Wilfork will be fined but not suspended by the NFL after meeting with Commissioner Roger Goodell about a hit on quarterback Jay Cutler of Denver, a source told The Associated Press yesterday.

Wilfork met Tuesday with Goodell, who decided to forgo a possible suspension, the source said. The NFL declined comment, noting that fines and suspensions normally are announced on Fridays.

Wilfork was called before Goodell after the Broncos said that that tape of New England's 41-7 win Oct. 20 showed Wilfork elbowing Cutler in the helmet. However, the tapes reviewed during the hearing did not show that clearly, upholding New England's contention there was no intent to injure. They also showed Wilfork helping up Cutler and patting him on the back.

■ Falcons: Rookie offensive tackle Sam Baker will have surgery on his lower back today, leaving his status for the rest of the season uncertain.

"We really don't want to put a time frame in terms of how long before he returns," said Coach Mike Smith, who called the surgery "minor" when he announced plans for the procedure after yesterday's practice.

Baker missed last week's game at Philadelphia with what was called a hip injury. When Baker did not respond to treatment, he was scheduled for appointments with two specialists.

The Falcons wouldn't reveal details of the surgery.

Baker, from Southern Cal, was the 21st pick in the first round.

■ Colts: The RCA Dome, the former home of the Indianapolis Colts, will be reduced to rubble Dec. 20. The Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority says that the stadium will be imploded the Saturday morning before Christmas.

Officials say that by then, about half of the dome will have been demolished by traditional methods. The implosion will demolish the upper-level seating area. The Colts now play in the nearby Lucas Oil Stadium. The area cleared by the demolition of the RCA Dome will be used for the expansion of the Indiana Convention Center.

■ NFL: Senators have asked Commissioner Roger Goodell to help make more game-day TV broadcasts available to local fans for free on the NFL Network. The league has said it provides free broadcasts in the home cities of competing teams, but 13 lawmakers said in a letter to Goodell that the NFL is too narrowly interpreting what is a home city.

"The policy leaves behind NFL fans across the country simply because they live outside cities to which the NFL has granted franchises," according to the letter, which was made public yesterday.

For example, the NFL does not consider the western Pennsylvania town of Johnstown part of the Pittsburgh Steelers' home market, the letter said.

The senators want quick action so fans in every market receive free TV access to games played by their closest team or the team that has been historically aligned to an area.

The NFL did not immediately respond to a request for comment yesterday.