A unique fight over restricted free agents between Seattle and Minnesota ended Friday when the Vikings chose not to match the Seahawks' contract offer to receiver Nate Burleson. Vikings vice president for football operations Rob Brzezinski confirmed the decision, which allowed Burleson to join his hometown team. "This is a dream come true for Nate," his agent, Ken Sarnoff, said. "That seven years after being named the Seattle High School Athlete of the Year, he now plays for the Seahawks."

Vikings quarterback Brad Johnson, who is signed as the team's starter for a relatively low $1.2 million this season, said he has had no talks about a new contract. "We're not talking about that now," he said.

ESPN's John Clayton reported that the Vikings will wait until Friday's deadline before announcing their decision on the Burleson offer sheet and that "the general feeling is" they will not match.

One of the NFL?s oldest rivalries will meet for the 94th time on Monday, Sept. 11 when the San Diego Chargers descend upon the ?Black Hole? to face their arch rival, the Oakland Raiders. The nationally-televised ESPN Monday Night Football showdown kicks off at 7:15 PST and is the second of two Monday Night games that opens the league?s first regularly-scheduled Monday Night Football doubleheader. The first game will feature the Minnesota Vikings at the Washington Redskins. ?I love it,? said Dean Spanos, Chargers? President and CEO. ?What a way to open the season ? in prime time against the Raiders. I know both the team and the fans will be up for that game and ready for the challenge.?

The Seahawks fired back at the Minnesota Vikings on Friday with an enormous ? and not coincidentally familiar ? contract offer for wide receiver Nate Burleson, a restricted free agent. Sources close to the situation confirmed that Burleson's entire deal would be guaranteed if he plays five games in the state of Minnesota during any one year of the deal. Another unrealistic provision is that if Burleson is paid more per year than all of the team's running backs combined in 2006, all of the deal is guaranteed.

The Seahawks' hopes of keeping All-Pro guard Steve Hutchinson will be decided by an arbitration process. That will delay the Sunday deadline for the team to match an offer to Hutchinson by the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings retained receiver Koren Robinson and made plans to play host to Baltimore running back Chester Taylor on Saturday. The Vikings agreed to terms with Robinson on a three-year contract agent Alvin Keels said just before midnight. Terms were not immediately available, but the deal prevented Robinson from entering free agency when the market opened at 11:01 p.m.

As reports circulated Thursday night that Daunte Culpepper was about to be traded, Vikings owner Zygi Wilf said he did not know of an impending deal. That could change as early as today. The Oakland Raiders appear to be the front-runner to acquire the recalcitrant quarterback. Miami also has shown interest in Culpepper. A report on NFL.com Thursday said a trade was imminent but did not name a team.

Daunte Culpepper's shaky relationship with the Vikings deteriorated further on Wednesday when the quarterback said he wants to be released if the team fails to trade him. "If a trade does not happen then I am asking the Vikings to terminate my contract as soon as possible," Culpepper said in an e-mail to reporters. Culpepper said he had asked the Vikings if he could speak to interested teams on his own behalf. He said Minnesota denied his request.