Rams' Little hospitalized after fainting

ST. LOUIS -- Rams defensive end Leonard Little suffered a concussion after fainting in a restaurant, St. Louis coach Mike Martz said Friday.

Little was expected to released from a hospital today, Martz said. Little won't play in the preseason finale at Kansas City next week and might not be ready for the season opener Sept. 8 in Denver.

"I would think that we would not have him in there," Martz said. "We'll just count on not having him."

Tyoka Jackson and Damione Lewis will fill in until Little returns.

The concussion happened after Thursday night's 31-10 preseason loss to the San Diego Chargers. Little and some teammates were at a restaurant when Little fainted and bumped his head, suffering a concussion.

Martz blamed the fainting spell on a deep thigh bruise Little suffered in the game. The injury happened in the second quarter. Little, who led St. Louis with 14 1/2 sacks last season, sat out the rest of the game.

CUTS MADE:offensive lineman Cameron Spikes was one of 14 players placed on waivers.

Spikes entered training camp competing with John St. Clair for the starting job at right tackle, but a shoulder injury hampered him, and he moved further down the depth chart when tackle Grant Williams was acquired from New England earlier this week.

Also released were guard Rob Gatrell; wide receivers Eugene Baker and Darran Hall; defensive tackle Carl Bradley; tackles DeMarcus Curry and Kaulana Noa; running back Marques Glaze; quarterback Ryan Helming; cornerbacks Todd Howard and Ronald Rogers; linebacker Derick Pack; kicker Matt Simonton; and defensive end Chris Ward.

Elsewhere

OBITUARY: Former NFL linebacker Wayne Simmons, a starter on the Green Bay Packers' 1997 Super Bowl championship team, was killed when his car crashed and burst into flames. He was 32.

Simmons was driving too fast and weaving through traffic on an interstate in suburban Kansas City when his Mercedes veered off the freeway about 2:45 a.m., witnesses told police.

The car rolled several times and landed in a ditch, then the engine caught fire. Other motorists tried to get Simmons out, but they couldn't unfasten his seat belt.

-- From wire reports