NFL Notebook: Brees' mother died from an OD

By: JournalNow Staff | JOURNAL WIRE REPORT
Published: November 21, 2009

■ Saints: The death of the mother of quarterback Drew Brees has been ruled a suicide.

Mina Brees, an attorney from Austin, Texas, died Aug. 7 while visiting Granby, Colo. Grand County coroner Brenda Bock concluded this week that Mina Brees, 59, died of a prescription-drug overdose and ruled the death a suicide.

Bock said Brees died while staying at the home of a friend in Granby near Rocky Mountain National Park.

It took longer than three months for autopsy results to be released, but Bock said that's typical for cases involving toxicology tests.

■ Bears: Chicago put running back Garrett Wolfe on injured reserve yesterday, ending his season.

The Bears will also listed tight end Desmond Clark, who has a neck injury, and safety Kevin Payne (back) as doubtful for Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

■ NFL fines: Defensive end Dwan Edwards of Baltimore plans to appeal the $5,000 fine he received for a hit on Cleveland's Joshua Cribbs on Monday night.

Edwards hit Cribbs with a forearm to the facemask on the final play of Baltimore's 16-0 win. Edwards said yesterday that he will appeal in an effort "to get some of it back." He said that the fine was levied because the hit came at a time when Cribbs "supposedly shouldn't have reasonably expected it."

■ Broncos: Quarterback Kyle Orton missed a third consecutive practice yesterday because of a sprained left ankle, and Coach Josh McDaniels said that that Orton's availability for Sunday's game against San Diego will be a game-time decision.

■ Steelers: Safety Troy Polamalu did not practice all week because of a left-knee injury, will not play Sunday in Kansas City and could miss Pittsburgh's Nov. 29 game at Baltimore. He sat out the second through fifth games with a ligament tear, then injured the same knee, but a different ligament,last weekend.