Big-hitting safety John Lynch's crunching collisions are over.

Lynch has decided to retire, officially ending his career with a news conference yesterday in Tampa, Fla.

The 37-year-old was a nine-time Pro Bowler for Denver and Tampa Bay, finishing with 1,277 tackles, 100 pass breakups and 26 interceptions in 224 regular-season games.

He departed Denver on good terms in July after being bumped from his starting role and signed with the Patriots. He was cut two weeks later and has been out of the game since.

"Just everything you'd want in a player," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said Friday after hearing about Lynch's retirement. "He set an example on how to be a pro."

Lynch made it known that there was a price to pay for coming over the middle — a painful pounding.

"He made a name for himself with (big hits)," said safety Marlon McCree, whose emergence in Denver led to Lynch bolting the Broncos. "That's the type of player he was."

Lynch played 11 years in Tampa Bay, winning a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers during the 2002 season. But he struggled with neck injuries in his final season there and eventually needed surgery to remove bone spurs.

The Bucs said goodbye, partly thinking his career was complete.

Lynch landed in Denver before the '04 season. He made four more Pro Bowl squads and guided the Broncos into the AFC championship game, losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

Lynch set the tone for the defense with his jarring hits.

"There was nothing better than for John to get that first big hit early," Broncos defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban said. "The whole defense rallied around that. It got everybody hyped up, everybody ready to go."

REDSKINS

RB PORTIS QUESTIONABLE

Washington running back Clinton Portis did not practice again yesterday and will be used only "in a limited fashion" if he is able to play tomorrow night against the Dallas Cowboys.

The NFL's second-leading rusher was able to watch practice — unlike Wednesday and Thursday, when his sprained left knee kept him away from the field — and was "getting some mental reps in case he has a chance to go," according to coach Jim Zorn.

Portis sprained the knee in the 23-6 loss to Pittsburgh before last week's bye. He is questionable on the injury report.

"I would use him, if he could go, in a limited fashion," Zorn said.

ELSEWHERE

Seahawks: Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (back, leg) is finally ready to start again. Wide receiver Deion Branch (knee) will try to play his first full game since January. Seattle's three-time Pro Bowl passer and former Super Bowl MVP receiver worked with the first-team offense for the entire practice yesterday. So each is ready to start for the first time in six weeks tomorrow against first-place Arizona.

Rams: St. Louis running back Steven Jackson will not play tomorrow against San Francisco because of his injured right thigh, and coach Jim Haslett said he won't even make the trip. Jackson did not practice yesterday. By sitting out at San Francisco, he will have missed three of the last four games.

Giants: New York Giants tackle Kareem McKenzie will play against the Ravens tomorrow despite his Thursday night arrest for suspicion of driving while intoxicated in Little Falls, N.J. Giants coach Tom Coughlin said he spoke with McKenzie yesterday and is "disappointed" but added: "He's not blaming anybody but himself and feels very badly about this."

Raiders: Ashley Lelie, a Radford High and University of Hawai'i alum, and Ronald Curry could start at wide receiver for Oakland tomorrow against Miami. Javon Walker is out with a bone separation in his left ankle. The other starter, Chaz Schilens, has been limited in practice by a sprained ankle.

Bears: Quarterback Kyle Orton was listed as probable for Chicago's game at Green Bay tomorrow. Orton sat out a 21-14 loss to Tennessee last week with a sprained right ankle.

Titans: Tennessee rookie defensive tackle Jason Jones will not play in tomorrow's game in Jacksonville because of a foot injury sustained in last week's victory over the Chicago Bears.