Havner signs tender, reports for off-season program
By Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel
April 1, 2010 12:02 p.m. |(12) Comments
Tight end Spencer Havner, recovering from a broken bone in his shoulder suffered in a motorcycle accident March 13 in California, signed his exclusive rights free agent tender and began taking part in the Green Bay Packers' off-season conditioning program Tuesday.
The Packers were unable to examine Havner following the accident because he was told not to travel by airplane right away. After a little more than two weeks of healing, Havner was given the OK to return to Green Bay and meet with Packers officials. At the NFL owners meetings last week, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he had spoken by telephone with Havner about the accident.
Havner was arrested by Nevada County police on suspicion of driving under the influence, but the district attorney's office has yet to file charges. General manager Ted Thompson said that Havner remains in the team's plans despite the incident.
A source with access to the NFL's transaction wire said that Havner signed his one-year exclusive rights tender on Tuesday. Havner's agent, Mark Humenik, confirmed that Havner had signed the deal and was in Green Bay for the off-season program.
Havner is limited in the work he can do because of the shoulder injury, Humenik said. But there is a good chance he'll be available for organized team activities in June.
"Without our doctors being able to lay their hands on him, I would just guess," McCarthy said last week regarding Havner's timetable for a return. "But based on my conversation with him, (he'll be sidelined) four to six weeks."
Neither McCarthy nor Thompson would say if Havner would face team sanctions.