Manning officially a Denver Bronco
DENVER, March 20 (UPI) -- NFL quarterback Peyton Manning officially joined the Denver Broncos Tuesday, saying he was excited for Denver to be the next chapter in his playing career.
Broncos officials and Manning appeared at a news conference in Denver to announce the quarterback had signed a contract with the Broncos. The deal is reported to be for 5 years and valued at $96 million.
Manning said the Broncos were "a great fit" for him.
"I'm thrilled to be here," he said. "I'm looking forward to meeting my new teammates and doing whatever I can to help this franchise win another Super Bowl."
Manning played 13 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, setting nearly every team passing record, but he missed all of 2011 because of a series of neck injuries.
The Colts, who have the No. 1 overall draft pick this year, released Manning March 7 and several teams immediately expressed interest in signing Manning as a free agent.
Manning sent a message to Broncos Executive Vice President John Elway, a Hall of Fame quarterback, Monday saying he'd decided on Denver.
"My goal is to make Peyton Manning the best quarterback to play the game," Elway told the news conference. "He's a guy that will make our football team better, just because of the type of person he is."
Manning started every game in his 13 playing seasons with Indianapolis, leading the club to 11 playoff appearances and a Super Bowl title after the 2006 season. An 11-time Pro Bowl selection, Manning has passed for 54,828 yards and 399 touchdowns in 208 regular-season games.
Denver will allow Manning to wear the No. 18 jersey. That number was retired in 1963 when quarterback Frank Tripucka left the Broncos. Tripucka was the quarterback in Denver for the first three seasons of the team's existence.
Mitchell to be arraigned in fraud case
PHILADELPHIA, March 20 (UPI) -- The arraignment of former Philadelphia Eagles' wide receiver Freddie "FredEx" Mitchell on federal tax fraud charges is scheduled for later this week.
Surrendering to authorities in Orlando March 12, Mitchell was to be arraigned Thursday, with Richard Walls and Jamie Russ-Walls, both of Bensalem, Pa.
They are accused of filing tax returns on behalf of non-existent businesses and claiming large financial losses, court documents say.
Mitchell also recruited other professional athletes to use Walls' tax-return business, which allegedly prepared fraudulent tax returns and arranged for partial tax refunds to be diverted into bank accounts held by Mitchell and Walls, the Philadelphia Daily News reported Tuesday.
In a case mentioned in the court documents, an unnamed athlete received a $1 million refund, while a fraudulent document was submitted requesting an additional $638,000 to be deposited in Walls' account and $280,000 in Mitchell's.
Mitchell was the Eagles' first-round draft pick in 2001 and played on the team for four years.
Cabrera has broken bone in face
LAKELAND, Fla., March 20 (UPI) -- Detroit third baseman Miguel Cabrera has a fractured bone in his face, leaving his playing status for opening day unclear, the Tigers said Tuesday.
Cabrera was injured Monday in an exhibition game against Philadelphia when he was hit below the right eye when a hard-hit grounder took a bad hop. He was bleeding profusely as he was helped from the field. The cut needed eight stitches to be closed.
Tigers General Manager Dave Dombrowski said Tuesday Cabrera had a non-displaced fracture of the orbital bone below the right eye. Cabrera was ordered to rest for at least a week when he will be re-evaluated.
Detroit opens the regular season April 2 in Toronto.
Cabrera, a six-time All-Star, was the American League leading hitter last year, batting .344 as the Tigers' first baseman. He was moved to third base after Detroit acquired free agent first baseman Prince Fielder.
Hines Ward announces retirement
PITTSBURGH, March 20 (UPI) -- Hines Ward, a four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, announced his retirement Tuesday after 14 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Ward, 36, owns Steelers' records with 1,000 receptions, 12,083 receiving yards and 85 receiving touchdowns. The 1,000 catches represent the eighth-best all-time total in the NFL.
He was a third-round pick by Pittsburgh in the 1998 draft and spent his entire career with the Steelers. The team released him last month.
"Today, I'm officially retiring as a Pittsburgh Steeler," Ward said at a news conference. "As much as I'll miss football, my teammates, coaches and everything about the game, I don't want to play in any other uniform. I will remain a Steeler for life."
He helped Pittsburgh to championships in Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII. He was voted the most valuable player in Super Bowl XL when he had five receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown in a 21-20 win over the Seattle Seahawks.
