NFL notebook: Leinart ready to take over as Cardinals' QB

Life after Kurt Warner has begun for the Arizona Cardinals, with Matt Leinart stepping into that giant void at quarterback.

Leinart watched for 21/2 seasons while Warner took the team to a level of success that long-suffering Cardinals fans had never dared to even imagine: two NFC West championships, consecutive winning seasons and, of course, a Super Bowl.

In the few chances Leinart got to play, his performances often were erratic, and fans who once hailed him as a savior for the franchise turned on him.

Through it all, Leinart has stayed the good soldier, praising Warner, saying he would work hard and would be ready when he got his chance.

For now, at least, Leinart has that chance. Whether Arizona makes any move to add someone else remains to be seen.

PRO BOWL LINEMAN DISMISSED: Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie has been dismissed from the NFC Pro Bowl team for unexcused absences. The NFL said McKinnie missed practice Friday and Saturday and is subject to a fine. His agent didn't respond to messages seeking comment.

This was the first Pro Bowl selection for McKinnie, whose Vikings lost to New Orleans in the NFC championship last Sunday.

Defensive end Julius Peppers also had an unexcused absence Friday, but was back at practice Saturday.

Since the rosters for Sunday's game in Miami were first announced, more than a dozen players have been scratched.

ZORN HIRED AS ASSISTANT: Former Washington Redskins head coach Jim Zorn has been hired by the Baltimore Ravens to be their quarterbacks coach. Zorn takes over for Hue Jackson, who left to become offensive coordinator of the Oakland Raiders. Zorn was fired earlier this month by the Redskins after two seasons as their head coach. Washington was 8-8 in his first year but slumped to 4-12 this season.

FORMER EAGLES STAR DIES: Tom Brookshier, an All-Pro defensive back who played on the Philadelphia Eagles' 1960 championship team, died Friday night. The Eagles said that Brookshier, 78, had cancer.

Brookshier had 20 interceptions in seven seasons with the team, earning All-Pro honors in 1959 and 1960. After retiring, he became a popular broadcaster. Eagles Hall of Famer Chuck Bednarik called him a leader on the field and in the locker room, and said Brookshier "might have been the toughest defensive back of our era."

"He was a hitter," Bednarik said. "We've lost one of the great Eagles of all time."

Brookshier was a 10th-round draft pick out of Colorado who had eight interceptions as a rookie in 1953. He served a two-year stint in the Air Force before returning to the NFL.