The Vikings are reportedly close to signing a deal to remain in Minnesota. Peter King reported on NBC's "Football Night in America" Sunday that it's no longer a question of "if" but "when" the team officially commits to staying in the state. "Look for the Vikings to sign a long-term deal and build a new stadium in Minnesota so that they will not be a candidate to move to Los Angeles," King said. "Everybody had been rumoring that they were going to L.A. The Vikings are going to stay in Minneapolis." The team's lease with the Metrodome expires after the end of the regular season.

A California court has issued a bench warrant for sports agent Leigh Steinberg in a case involving a $1.4M judgment owed to a landlord. Orange County Superior Court spokeswoman Carole Levitzky said Thursday the warrant was issued after Steinberg failed to attend court last week.

Jamal Lewis, Dorsey Levens and two other former NFL players say in a federal lawsuit that brain injuries have left them struggling with medical problems years after their playing days ended. Lewis and Levens, along with Fulton Kuykendall and Ryan Stewart, filed the lawsuit against the NFL and FNL Properties LLC this week in U.S. District Court in Atlanta.

Former Bears wide receiver Sam Hurd's defense attorney disputed the report that authorities have a list of NFL players with a connection to Hurd, who is facing federal drug charges following his Wednesday arrest. "I haven't seen all the material," L.A.-based attorney David Kenner said. "But we have seen nothing to support that contention. We believe that is simply not the case." Kenner added: "Sam is looking forward to defending himself ... and we're hoping the people are not doing the proverbial rush for judgment before the matter is litigated." The NFL also said Friday it is not aware of other players involved in the federal drug case against Hurd.

The Bears cut Sam Hurd on Friday, two days after he was arrested on federal drug-dealing charges. Hurd was arrested on Wednesday night in Rosemont, Ill., and the criminal complaint against him describes the receiver as regularly dealing large amounts of drugs in Chicago. "There's been a wrong and we've acted. We have a track record of doing that," GM Jerry Angelo said. "Unfortunately a situation arose that caught us off guard but we are to the point where we are going to do the right thing. And the right thing is to cut Sam Hurd."

The Santa Clara Stadium Authority voted 7-0 Thursday night to accept terms of an $850M construction loan for the new Santa Clara Stadium. The approval of the loan and a 40-year lease agreement marks two of the final financial steps for the new stadium. Make-ready work at the site adjacent to Great America Park will begin next month and the official groundbreaking is expected in the spring of 2012. The $850M will be loaned to the Stadium Authority and the 49ers Stadium Development Company will have no impact on the City’s General Fund. The new stadium in Santa Clara is estimated to cost $1 billion. Officials expect it to be a landmark for Silicon Valley in addition to its role as the new home to the 49ers.

Indecent assault charges against Julian Edelman were dropped Thursday because prosecutors thought they would not be able to prove the Patriots receiver "intentionally engaged in a harmful or offensive touching of the complainant." Edelman was arrested and charged for allegedly groping a woman at a Halloween party on the dance floor of a Boston bar. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. A court date had been set for Jan. 10.

Bears receiver Sam Hurd was arrested in Chicago on federal drug charges on Wednesday night. According to Kathy Colvin, the spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Dallas, Hurd allegedly attempted to purchase drugs from a supplier in North Texas, the location of where the case will be adjudicated.

CBS, Fox and NBC renewed their contracts for nine years through the 2022 season, the NFL announced Wednesday. The average fees from the three networks will increase by an average of 7 percent annually, a person familiar with the details said. That will take the total revenue from them from the current $1.93 billion per year to $3.1 billion by 2022. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the figures weren't made public.

The 49ers are a significant step closer to moving from San Francisco to a new stadium about 45 miles south in Santa Clara. The team and City of Santa Clara announced on Friday that they have secured long-awaited funding for the project. Goldman Sachs, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch and U.S. Bank have agreed to an $850 million loan with the city's stadium authority and the 49ers. The money will cover the bulk of the estimated $1 billion project. Funding from the National Football League, a hotel tax and city redevelopment funds is expected to make up the difference.