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Packers’ Matthews needs surgery after softball game

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Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy says he is OK with players taking part in a charity softball game in spite of an injury to linebacker Clay Matthews.

The Packers’ long-haired star was pitching when he was hit in the nose by a line drive on Saturday. Teammate Lucas Patrick, an offensive lineman, was at the plate.

McCarthy says that while the injury is unfortunate, he is not going to overreact. He says participation in the Green & Gold Charity Softball Game is good for the players to give back and be involved with the community.

McCarthy said before offseason workouts Monday that Matthews will likely have surgery later this week. He says he has no long-term concerns with the injury.

Matthews has posted on Twitter that he was thankful the injury wasn’t more serious. Matthews and receiver Davante Adams were co-captains for the game.

The Packers are in the last week of voluntary workouts. Mandatory minicamp takes place next week.

Jimmy V Award to Jim Kelly: Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly will receive ESPN’s Jimmy V Award for the toughness and perseverance he’s displayed during his ongoing battle with oral cancer.

ESPN officially announced the honor Monday, a few hours after Kelly first revealed the news while attending his charitable foundation’s 32nd golf tournament outside of Buffalo. Kelly will be honored during the network’s ESPY Awards on July 18.

The award is named for late North Carolina State men’s basketball coach Jimmy Valvano, who gave an inspirational speech at the ESPYs in 1993 less than two months before he died of cancer. Valvano most notably led the Wolfpack on an improbable run to win the 1983 NCAA Tournament championship.

Kelly had surgery to have cancer removed from his jaw in March after tests revealed a recurrence. The 58-year-old Kelly was initially diagnosed five years ago with skin cancer and had been cancer free since September 2014.

Kelly is still unable to eat solid foods. He is scheduled to have an operation on June 21, when doctors plan to add tissue to the upper portion of his mouth. He is then scheduled to have permanent dentures inserted during another procedure in September.

Kelly said he’s honored to receive the award, before joking that “the only bad thing about it is you have to go through a lot to get it.”

Bears sign TE Miller: The Chicago Bears have re-signed veteran tight end Zach Miller to a one-year contract. That clears the way for him to return from a gruesome injury last October that nearly cost him his left leg.

Miller has undergone at least eight surgeries since the Week 8 injury at New Orleans. He tore an artery while dislocating his knee trying to make a touchdown catch.

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