BEREA, Ohio — Derek Anderson stood in the middle of the media huddle in Cleveland's locker room and then stepped aside for Brady Quinn.

Perhaps for good.

The mystery surrounding Browns coach Eric Mangini's choice as his starting quarterback became somewhat clearer yesterday when Quinn and Anderson were forced to answer questions about their recently completed competition — a battle that carried through training camp and the exhibition season.

Anderson was asked if it would be difficult to keep the starting QB a secret until Sunday's kickoff of the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings.

"No," Anderson said, "because after this next two minutes are over I'm not going to be talking to you guys. It's pretty easy. Obviously, the rest of us have to go about our regular preparations and continue to do what we always do and just not talk to our families."

By "the rest of us" Anderson seemed to mean the Browns backups, a group it looks as if he belongs to once again.

Mangini met with his quarterbacks on Tuesday night, told them who would start and explained the reasons for his decision. He said both handled the situation with class.

"They both took it exactly the way I expected them to take it — as pros, as good teammates," Mangini said. "It was really not surprising."

Quinn has been favored all along to win the starting job, and although it now appears to be his, the former first-round pick is playing along with Mangini's wishes to guard his secret and keep the Vikings guessing.

Quinn confirmed that he and Anderson met with Mangini, but said they weren't told who would take the season's first snaps from center.

"He talked to us about it, but he hasn't told us anything about a final decision for us," Quinn said.

Those seem to be carefully chosen words since Mangini said he told his quarterbacks which one would open up against the Vikings.

Mangini said he did feel the need to make an announcement to Cleveland's other players.

"I think they'll be able to figure it out," he said.

STEELERS

SETTLEMENT OFFER REJECTED

The attorney for Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger yesterday rejected a settlement offer by a Nevada woman who claims the Super Bowl champion sexually assaulted her at a Lake Tahoe hotel-casino.

The rejection was in response to a letter, filed last week as part of a motion from Cal Dunlap, the woman's Reno attorney, that said she would be willing to settle the civil matter against Roethlisberger if he admits to raping her, apologizes and gives $100,000 to the Committee to Aid Abused Women, a non-profit agency in Reno that helps victims of domestic violence.

In a written statement, Roethlisberger attorney David Cornwell called the woman's offer "bizarre" and an "insult to women who have legitimately suffered from sexual misconduct."

COLTS

Indianapolis safety Bob Sanders, the 2007 NFL defensive player of the year, says he is getting better. He's just not sure when he'll return.

Sanders has not practiced since having offseason knee surgery.

The Colts considered putting him on the physically unable to perform list last weekend but decided not to because they think Sanders can return in less than six weeks. Sanders wouldn't say yesterday when he thought he would be back.

49ERS

Michael Lewis will start at strong safety in San Francisco's season opener Sunday at Arizona despite sustaining two concussions in the preseason.

Lewis' first concussion occurred Aug. 18 during a joint practice with Oakland at the Raiders' wine country training site in Napa and he got hit by a fullback. He suffered another in an exhibition game at Dallas on Aug. 29, when he fell and took a knee to the helmet.

"It's super bad luck," Lewis said yesterday as the Niners prepared for the NFC champion Cardinals. "It's just one of those things. I wouldn't say scary. I didn't know I had a mild concussion. I just thought I had a little ding. In football, you keep rolling and you don't think about it like that."

JAGUARS

Running back Maurice Jones-Drew returned to practice yesterday, a welcome sight for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Jones-Drew missed practice Monday because of a bruised right leg. He got hurt in the final preseason game last week when Washington cornerback Fred Smoot tackled him low from behind, a hit Jones-Drew is still upset about.

"It's the first day, but I feel great," Jones-Drew said before practice. "Go out there, run around, have a good time, cut on it, catch balls, get in the fire and see how I dress when people are coming at me."

PATRIOTS

New England coach Bill Belichick says he'll deal with any developments in the Richard Seymour trade when they happen.

The five-time Pro Bowl defensive end hasn't reported to the Oakland Raiders after being traded by the Patriots for a first-round draft pick in 2011.

Asked yesterday if he was monitoring the situation closely, Belichick said the Patriots are monitoring the Buffalo Bills closely. They play the Bills on Monday night in a season opener.

And when told Seymour could end up back with the Patriots, the coach said he'll deal with whatever happens when it happens.