Gibbs resigns as coach of Redskins

ASHBURN, Va. -- After the toughest season of his Hall of Fame career, Joe Gibbs knew he needed to walk away from the Washington Redskins and devote more time to his wife, children and grandchildren.

He resigned as coach and team president of the Redskins on Tuesday, three days after a playoff loss ended an inspirational late-season run that followed the death of safety Sean Taylor.

The 67-year-old Gibbs said Redskins owner Dan Snyder tried to persuade him to stay on during a conversation that lasted until about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday.

"My family situation being what it is right now, I told him I couldn't make the kind of commitment I needed to make," Gibbs said during a news conference, standing a few feet from the three silver Super Bowl trophies he won during his first tenure with the Redskins.

One of his grandsons, Taylor, was diagnosed with leukemia a year ago at age 2.

He had one season left on the five-year, $27.5 million deal that lured him out of his first NFL retirement and away from his second career as a NASCAR owner.

Gibbs went 31-36, including 1-2 in the playoffs, in his second stint with the Redskins.

Brady wins award

Tom Brady, the NFL's Most Valuable Player, added The Associated Press 2007 Offensive Player of the Year honors to his collection Tuesday, easily outdistancing his main weapon on the unbeaten New England Patriots, Randy Moss.

Of the four players who received votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members, three were Patriots.

Brady led New England to a 16-0 regular season.

He collected 35 1/2 votes to 12 1/2 for Moss. Wes Welker, the Patriots' other starting receiver, got one, as did Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre.

-- The Associated Press