Horn Fined $30,000 for Phone Stunt

New Orleans Saint receiver Joe Horn was fined $30,000 by the NFL on Tuesday for making a choreographed cell-phone call in the end zone to celebrate a touchdown.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed the amount of the fine. Horn’s agent, Ralph Vitolo, said the player will appeal.

“Fining him is one thing, but to me that’s very excessive,� Vitolo said.

Return specialist Michael Lewis was fined $5,000 for helping orchestrate the stunt, and Horn told Vitolo that he would pay that fine.

After scoring the second of his four touchdowns in a 45-7 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday, Horn was handed a phone by Lewis, who pulled it out from under the padding on the goal post. Horn was still wearing his helmet when he punched in numbers, put the phone to his ear and spoke into it for a few seconds.

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Cincinnati Bengal receiver Chad Johnson was fined $10,000 by the NFL for holding up a sign directed at the league while celebrating a touchdown catch.

After his 10-yard touchdown reception on the Bengals’ first possession of Sunday’s 41-38 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, Johnson ran out of the end zone and retrieved a sign stored behind a snow drift.

Johnson, who has repeatedly been fined by the league for uniform violations and touchdown celebrations, held up the sign that read: “Dear NFL: Please don’t fine me again.�

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The Tennessee Titans hoped to rest banged-up quarterback Steve McNair this week, but Billy Volek’s injury might have ended those plans.

McNair is nursing an injured ankle and right calf, but because Tennessee has yet to secure a playoff spot, he might be called upon against the Texans on Sunday in Houston.

Volek, a little-known backup, is out for the season after sustaining a lacerated spleen Sunday while leading the Titans to a 28-26 victory over the Buffalo Bills.

That leaves rookie Jason Gesser, who has not played a down in the NFL.

So it looks as if the Titans (10-4) will turn to McNair, one of the NFL’s most durable quarterbacks. He played with injuries often during a streak of 43 consecutive starts that ended last week.

Meanwhile, the Titans were negotiating with former backup quarterback Neil O’Donnell, a 13-year veteran who was cut after training camp but still has a home in Nashville.

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New York Jet receiver Wayne Chrebet still has headaches after going on injured reserve last month because of post-concussion syndrome, and doesn’t know whether he will play next season.... The Minnesota Vikings signed punter Leo Araguz, but they decided to keep rookie Eddie Johnson on the roster despite his struggles. Araguz, who was in training camp with Kansas City this year, hasn’t punted in a regular-season game since he was with Detroit in 2001.