NFL Wire Notes | Kitna's costume draws some flak

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Detroit Lions quarterback Jon Kitna and his wife dressed up as a naked man and a fast-food drive-through attendant at a teammate's Halloween party, depicting an embarrassing moment for one of the team's assistant coaches.

Now Kitna is getting some flak from local media. Kitna, a former Seahawk and a Tacoma native, said he was just trying to have fun, but regrets the scrutiny the costumes created.

"If I would've known this, I wouldn't have done it because I didn't want to try to bring attention to it," Kitna said Wednesday.

Defensive-line coach Joe Cullen pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct and guilty to impaired driving after he was arrested twice last year, once after police said he was driving nude through a Wendy's drive-through lane, and a week later when they said he was driving under the influence of alcohol.

Cullen later was sentenced to two years' probation.

Lions coach Rod Marinelli said Kitna's costume was a nonissue with the team.

"It's Halloween," Marinelli said. "I'll leave it at that."

Kitna and his wife wore the costumes to a teammate's charity party, where the prize for the best outfit was a car.

"All I was trying to do was wear a costume that people would have fun with," Kitna said. "I wasn't trying to demean Joe. If he hadn't come so far, I would not ever have done it. He's very confident of who he is and is very peaceful about what's happened in the past.

"When we talked yesterday, the first question out of his mouth was, 'Did you win?' He seemed to not have a problem with it."

Notes

• The Jacksonville Jaguars could find out by the end of the week if defensive tackle Marcus Stroud will be suspended for four games for violating the NFL's steroids and related-substances policy. Jacksonville signed former Atlanta defensive tackle Grady Jackson. The team also put defensive tackle Tony McDaniel on injured reserve with a broken wrist.

• San Francisco 49ers kicker Joe Nedney was fined $7,500 by the NFL for making an obscene gesture at his home fans during Sunday's game against New Orleans.

• Cleveland nose tackle Ted Washington's season ended when the Browns placed the 17-year veteran on injured reserve with a knee injury.

• Indianapolis Colts receiver Marvin Harrison (knee) missed practice. He has missed two of the past three games, but coach Tony Dungy was optimistic Harrison would play Sunday against New England.

• Oakland Raiders defensive lineman Tommy Kelly (knee) will miss the remainder of the season.

• Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub was still feeling the effects of a concussion and probably won't play Sunday against Oakland.

• Tarvaris Jackson (broken finger) is in line to return as the Minnesota Vikings' starting quarterback Sunday against San Diego.

• Denver safety John Lynch said he felt optimistic the pinched nerve he suffered Monday was unrelated to his 2004 neck surgery.

• It's uncertain if Jets receiver Laveranues Coles (concussion) will play in New York's game against Washington on Sunday.

• Former Los Angeles Raiders quarterback Todd Marinovich has been given another chance at rehabilitation after pleading guilty to drug charges in Santa Ana, Calif. Marinovich, 38, received five years' probation.