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As initially reported by the Associated Press, Steve Smith agreed to a five-year contract extension with the Carolina Panthers on Monday after leading the NFC champions in receiving last season.

Contract details were not disclosed, but Smith's agent Derrick Fox told the AP the deal includes a team option for a sixth season.

The Panthers had made re-signing Smith a top priority after a 32-29 loss to the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. He could have become a restricted free agent.

Smith wasn't always a priority.

He made the Pro Bowl as a return man as a rookie, but wouldn't settle for being pigeonholed in that role simply because at 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds he was considered too small to play receiver.

After lobbying for a shot at as a starter, he got it in 2002. But he had his problems off the field.

He beat up a teammate in a film session that season, leading to a one-game team suspension and a public outcry he should be released. Instead, Smith volunteered for anger management classes and spent time as a youth soccer coach, helping improve his image in the community.

Last season, he proved his value on the field.

Smith led the Panthers last season with 88 catches and 1,110 yards receiving, then had 19 receptions for 424 yards and three touchdowns in the playoffs. That included a game-winning 69-yard grab to defeat the St. Louis Rams in double overtime in the playoffs and a 39-yard touchdown catch against the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

"Steve came out and exploded in the second half of the season and became one of the top receivers in the league," Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said.

He also returned punts and worked part-time on kickoff returns last year.

Smith said his next goal is to make sure he lives up to his new contract.

"I want to be considered a productive player and not just a one-hit wonder," he said. "I think I've had three pretty good seasons here and I want to add on six more."

Hurney said the Panthers would look to extend quarterback Jake Delhomme's contract in the next couple of months after the free agent market calms down. ...

Meanwhile, in San Francisco. ... ESPN.com is reporting the 49ers officially notified quarterback Jeff Garcia on Monday night that he will be placed on waivers today.

Garcia's release will come before Tuesday 4 p.m. ET deadline for all teams to be in compliance with the NFL's $80.6 million cap ceiling.

This after Garcia rejected a cut in his base salary from $9 million to $5 million over the weekend. His cap number had gone beyond $12 million because of an escalator clause that transformed his base salary into the league's franchise number for quarterbacks. Garcia earned in excess of $20 million over the last two seasons -- more than any quarterback.

49ers general manager Terry Donahue said last Friday that Garcia's status would be resolved Monday. San Francisco-area media arrived at the team's complex Monday but, late in the day, team officials said there would be no announcement before Tuesday. It is believed that Donahue and agent Steve Baker spoke briefly Monday night about Garcia's status.

Garcia offered to return if the 49ers made up the $4 million difference in incentives. Instead, they were willing to give back to him $1.5 million if he reached his incentives. He finally said no. His departure will save the 49ers roughly $2 million against the cap.

Garcia's departure will elevate four-year veteran Tim Rattay to the starting spot. A former seventh-round draft choice, Rattay, 26, played well at times last season, winning two of three starts in place of an injured Garcia. He will have a difficult time, though, matching Garcia's numbers.

In a related note. ... ESPN insider Chris Mortensen reported this morning that NFL Players Association executive director Gene Upshaw is working on a compromise to clear up the status of wide receiver Terrell Owens.

League sources told Mortensen that Upshaw hopes to engineer a deal that would allow Owens to become an unrestricted free agent while providing draft-pick compensation to the San Francisco 49ers.

Under Upshaw's plan, the 49ers would get the 33rd overall pick in the April draft, a pick that would be slotted between the first and second rounds.

Owens, a four-time Pro Bowl player, missed the league-mandated Feb. 21 deadline to void the remaining three years of his contract and leave the 49ers. Owens and his agent, David Joseph, cited specific contract language that states March 2 as the deadline.

Owens was among several players required to file by a new deadline, which recently was moved up 10 days for players who signed their contracts before the league's 2001 collective bargaining agreement went into effect.

Cleveland receiver Dennis Northcutt made a similar mistake. The Browns announced last week that Northcutt's agent failed to void the final three years of his contract by Feb. 19, keeping him with the Browns. ...

In Pittsburgh. ... Jerome Bettis, the sixth-leading rusher in NFL history, agreed Monday to take a significant pay cut to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

According to AP sports writer Alan Robinson, Bettis and the Steelers worked out a one-year contract that will pay him $1 million, with the chance to earn an additional $1 million in incentives.

Bettis was to have made $3,757,000, plus a $750,000 roster bonus, as part of the $30 million, six-year contract he signed in 2001. That deal included a $6 million signing bonus, but there is no signing bonus in his newest agreement.

Bettis and agent Lamont Smith spent the last several weeks trying to work out a restructured deal that would keep the 32-year-old Bettis in Pittsburgh, where he is the No. 2 rusher in team history.

"I still think I can get it done. I still think I can play this game," Bettis said.

Bettis said late last season he was amenable to redoing his contract so he could finish his career in Pittsburgh, where he has gained 9,262 yards since being traded by St. Louis in 1996.

Bettis' return not only gives him a chance to add to his career rushing total of 12,353 yards, it buys the Steelers time as they seek his replacement -- most likely in the April draft. They own the No. 11 pick and could very well use it on a running back, perhaps Virginia Tech's Kevin Jones.

Bettis, coming off a 666-yard season in 2002, began last season on the bench behind Amos Zereoue but regained his starting job at midseason and finished with 811 yards.

Bettis had two 100-yard games in the final month of the season, even though the Steelers -- the NFL's No. 1 rushing team only two years before -- finished next-to-last in rushing.

Zereoue, who ran for 433 yards and a 3.3 yards per carry average, is expected to be traded or released before training camp starts.

Bettis' late surge -- he had only 126 yards in the Steelers' first six games -- moved him past Thurman Thomas, Franco Harris, Marcus Allen and Jim Brown and into sixth place in NFL career rushing. Though he is ahead of Harris among NFL rushers, Bettis trails him on the Steelers' list because 3,091 of Bettis' yards came with the Rams.

Bettis is 386 yards behind No. 5 Tony Dorsett and needs 907 yards to move into fourth place. ...

In Cleveland. ... As AP sports writer Tom Withers put it Monday: "Tim Couch is the Cleveland Browns' healthiest and most experienced quarterback. However, there's no guarantee he'll be their starter.

"Money will decide that."

Couch met with head coach Butch Davis for an hour on Monday to discuss the quarterback's uncertain future with the club.

Team spokesman Todd Stewart said the pair met at the Browns' training facility in Berea for what is expected to be one of many meetings. Stewart couldn't divulge any specifics from the talks, saying only Couch and Davis had "a good conversation."

The Browns want Couch to redo the final two years of his contract, which will pay him $7.6 million in salary for 2004 and $8 million in 2005, if he is going to be their starter this season.

If Couch tells them no, the team could release or trade the former No. 1 overall draft pick. Couch might agree to the pay cut, but only under the condition that he is assured the starter's job.

Couch lost his starting spot to Kelly Holcomb in training camp last summer, but got it back during the regular season when Holcomb first got hurt and then struggled. With Holcomb currently recovering from shoulder surgery and possibly not available until the start of training camp, Couch would appear to have added leverage in his contract talks.

Couch has said he wants to continue his career in Cleveland. ...

According to Miami Herald beat man Jason Cole, the Dolphins ended a flurry of moves over the past five days by coming to terms with quarterback Jay Fiedler on a restructured contract.

Fiedler's return gave the Dolphins at least one experienced quarterback going into next season. A.J. Feeley, whose trade from the Eagles is expected to be finalized Wednesday, has only five career starts.

In an article published Monday, South Florida Sun-Sentinel staffer Alex Marvez advised readers that Fiedler, after meeting with head coach Dave Wannstedt last week, is comfortable with assurances regarding his salary and whether he will be given a chance to compete with Feeley for the starter's spot. ...

In Tennessee. ... The Titans reached agreement Monday on a multi-year contract for receiver Drew Bennett as the Titans worked to keep two top receivers from leaving as free agents.

The 6-foot-5 Bennett, who has started 15 games over the past two seasons, caught 32 passes for 504 yards and four touchdowns last season. He had been scheduled to become a restricted free agent on Wednesday.

The Titans also made a tender offer to Justin McCareins, who becomes a restricted free agent. It was high enough that the Titans would get a first-round draft pick for McCareins if they don't match another team's offer for him.

McCareins was second on the team with 49 receptions. He had an average of 17.3 yards per catch and had seven touchdown catches. ...

Following up on a previous article. ... The Chicago Bears released Kordell Stewart on Monday, ending a disappointing one-year run with the quarterback.

Stewart signed a two-year, $5 million deal as a free agent nearly a year ago. He began the season as the Bears' starter, struggled and then lost the job to Chris Chandler before getting it back.

Chicago then turned to rookie Rex Grossman as their starter, and he is the Bears' quarterback of the future with a new coaching staff headed by Lovie Smith.

"We decided to release Kordell because it was in the best interest of all parties," Bears general manager Jerry Angelo said. "Our recent philosophical changes on offense. ... Do no fit [his] skill sets as well as the previous [system] did. ..."

According to Chicago Sun-Times beat man Brad Biggs, Grossman began hitting the playbook with new offensive coordinator Terry Shea on Monday.

Grossman had already talked to Shea a half-dozen times in an attempt to make sure the offense's leader on the ground and running with the new offense for the first mini-camp March 26. Shea, who came from Kansas City, where he was quarterbacks coach, assured Grossman that the Bears, indeed, will be taking the pages from the Chiefs' playbook.

"We're just going to start talking and going over things,' Grossman said. "I'm sure he's going to put his own personality into it. ...'

And in yet another follow-up. ... Denver Post staff writer Adam Schefter reported this morning that Broncos wide receiver Ed McCaffrey made it official today: He announced his retirement from pro football after 13 seasons.

McCaffrey, who has spent nine seasons with the Broncos, made the announcement at a news conference at Broncos headquarters in Dove Valley, joined by his wife and children. ...

And finally. ... The Dallas Cowboys got another up-close look at Drew Henson during a private workout Monday at team headquarters.

It showed renewed interest by the team in Henson, who is giving up baseball to return to football.

His rights are held by the Houston Texans, who already have a young quarterback in David Carr. The Texans drafted Henson in the sixth round last year hoping to trade him if he did decide to play football.

Henson, who played at Michigan, is hoping to arrange a trade to the team of his choice. If no deal is done by the draft on April 24, he could be selected by any team.

The Texans held an open workout in Houston on Feb. 12, and Dallas was among 20 teams that were represented.

Henson will hold a private workout Wednesday for the Browns. He worked out for coaches in St. Louis today.

The Texans are believed to be asking for an early round draft pick for Henson. Whoever trades for him also would have to sign him.