NFL notes: N.Y. Jets may activate all 3 QBs

Tim Tebow is heading home — possibly as only a sideline spectator.

It will be a game-time decision as to whether the New York Jets' backup quarterback plays in the team's game in his hometown of Jacksonville against the Jaguars on Sunday.

"As far as Tim is concerned, we want to make sure," coach Rex Ryan said Friday. "He's done more this week in practice, quite a bit more. We want to see how he travels and what he feels like on game day."

Tebow, healing from two broken ribs, will fly with the team Saturday and Ryan and the team doctors will determine before the game if he will play.

If Tebow can play, Ryan says Friday it's possible all three quarterbacks — Mark Sanchez, Greg McElroy and Tebow — could be active.

"It's something you don't really want to do," Ryan said. "Sometimes at this time of year, you have so many nicks that you're trying to find a guy to put in that spot. You'll very rarely have three quarterbacks up in today's game."

Around the league

Browns • Return specialist Josh Cribbs doesn't like the possibility that the NFL will replace the kickoff.

Commissioner Roger Goodell said this week that the league's competition committee will consider eliminating the kickoff in the offseason. The league previously moved the kickoff from the 30 to 35-yard line to cut down on violent collisions, hoping to reduce head injuries.

Cribbs, who shares the league record for kickoff return touchdowns with Seattle's Leon Washington, said banning the kickoff would change the league "drastically" and that if the move was made the NFL would be "just like intramurals."

Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano suggested that instead of kickoffs, teams would have the option of punting from the 30-yard line or going for a first down in a fourth-and-15 situation. Goodell has called Schiano's idea "interesting."

Eagles • Quarterback Michael Vick and running back LeSean McCoy will not play Sunday, when Philadelphia meets the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6).

In an expected announcement, Eagles athletic trainer Rick Burkholder said Friday that neither has been cleared to return to football activity after suffering concussions last month.

Burkholder sent McCoy to Pittsburgh to be examined by the University of Pittsburgh's concussion specialists because he "just didn't like the way things were adding up. I didn't like how he was getting symptoms at night and not during the day."

Burkholder said Vick is improving in his physical rehabilitation but is "in kind of a stagnant phase" with his testing.

49ers • Running back Frank Gore and cornerback Tarell Brown took a little time off to heal nagging injuries this week, but both are expected to play when San Francisco hosts the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

Gore is nursing a wrist problem, while Brown's hamstring has been problematic.

Bears • Chicago linebacker Brian Urlacher was fined $21,000 by the NFL for a horse-collar tackle on Seattle's Leon Washington, his second fine in two weeks.

Urlacher, penalized for the tackle in the Bears' 23-17 loss last Sunday, also was fined last week for a horse-collar tackle of Minnesota's Adrian Peterson.

Redskins • Washington center Will Montgomery was fined $10,000 for kicking New York Giants defensive lineman Linval Joseph, who was docked $7,875 for unnecessary roughness. He raised his right foot to kick at Montgomery, but stopped himself before doing so.

Jets • Authorities who raided Indiana properties owned by former New York Jets offensive lineman Jason Fabini and his brother searched three more Fort Wayne sites Friday.

The FBI hasn't said why the Safe Streets Task Force raided the sites. The group is comprised of federal, state and local officers and focuses on gangs and illegal drugs and firearms.

Fabini said Thursday in a statement issued by his attorney, Patrick Murphy, that he's not the investigation's target and has done nothing wrong. There is no phone listing for his brother, Michael Fabini. —

Week 14 schedule

Thursday

• Denver 26, Oakland 13

Sunday

Chicago at Minnesota, 11 a.m.

• Baltimore at Washington, 11 a.m.

• Kansas City at Cleveland,11 a.m.

• San Diego at Pittsburgh,11 a.m.

• Tennessee at Indianapolis, 11 a.m.

• N.Y. Jets at Jacksonville,11 a.m.

• Atlanta at Carolina, 11 a.m.

• Philadelphia at Tampa Bay, 11 a.m.

• St. Louis at Buffalo, 11 a.m.

• Dallas at Cincinnati, 11 a.m., Ch. 13

• Miami at San Francisco, 2:05 p.m., Ch. 2

• Arizona at Seattle, 2:25 p.m.

• New Orleans at N.Y. Giants, 2:25 p.m., Ch. 13

• Detroit at Green Bay,6:20 p.m., Ch. 5

Monday

• Houston at New England, 6:30 p.m., ESPN