NFL | Neck injury sidelines Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Linebacker Antonio Pierce, who is the defensive captain of the New York Giants, is out indefinitely after an MRI exam Friday revealed a bulging disk in his neck.

The Giants said Pierce, 31, underwent the test in New York and was examined by team physician Dr. Russell Warren and Dr. Frank Camissa, chief of the spinal surgical services at the Hospital for Special Surgery.

Pierce first had neck pain when the Giants played Arizona on Oct. 25. He had little discomfort until practice this week, when the club's medical staff scheduled the MRI exam.

"I'm shocked with what I heard from the doctors this afternoon," Pierce said in a statement released by the Giants. "I had no idea that what happened a few weeks ago could keep me off the field."

The Giants (5-4), who have lost four in a row, host Atlanta (5-4) on Sunday.

Chase Blackburn is likely to fill in for Pierce.

Notes

• Several fines were announced by the league, including $10,000 fines for Cleveland quarterback Brady Quinn and Tennessee cornerback Cortland Finnegan.

Quinn hurt Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs by making contact with Suggs' knee while the Ravens were returning an interception. Quinn was fined for unnecessary roughness.

Finnegan was fined for trying to tackle an opponent by grabbing the facemask and unnecessary roughness for hitting an opponent late.

• Chicago placed backup running back Garrett Wolfe (kidney injury) on injured reserve, ending his season.

• Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu did not practice all week because of a left-knee injury and will not play Sunday in Kansas City. He might miss the Nov. 29 game at Baltimore as well, team officials indicated.

• The death of the mother of New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees has been ruled a suicide.

Mina Brees, an attorney from Austin, Texas, died Aug. 7 while visiting Colorado. Grand County coroner Brenda Bock concluded the 59-year-old Brees died of a prescription-drug overdose and ruled the death a suicide.

The Austin American-Statesman reported that three days before Brees died, the Texas attorney general's office subpoenaed her business records.

She had allegedly sent letters to some restaurants in Austin and Houston stating they had lost their rights to use their names to a company she represented, Chicksports, but they could win the rights back by paying up to $25,000. She was also the president of Chicksports but that wasn't mentioned in the letter.