• Roethlisberger suspension reduced to four games: Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension has been cut from six games to four by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ star quarterback met with Goodell early Friday and was told he could return on Oct. 17 against Cleveland. Roethlisberger was suspended in April for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, but Goodell said at the time he would review the player’s behavior over the next few months. Goodell was satisfied that the quarterback has followed the league’s guidelines and stayed out of trouble. Roethlisberger was accused of sexually assaulting a Georgia college student following a night of drinking in a Milledgeville, Ga., bar on March 5. He was not charged by Georgia authorities. Meanwhile, Byron Leftwich’s strained left knee ligament could sideline him for most or all of the first month of the season, leaving the Steelers with only two healthy quarterbacks — University of Oregon product Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch — for their Sept. 12 opener against Atlanta.

• Seahawks put Houshmandzadeh on trade block: T.J. Houshmandzadeh’s departure from Seattle appears inevitable. The question now is more a matter of the logistics of his exit as today is the deadline for NFL teams to trim their rosters to 53 players. Houshmandzadeh said Thursday he knew the Seahawks were willing to trade him even before it was reported on the league’s website. On Friday, indications were Seattle will release him if it can’t strike a deal. Either way, Seattle is expected to cut ties with the receiver it signed only a year ago, even if that means eating the $7 million in guaranteed salary he would be owed for 2010.

• Cowboys send WR Crayton to Chargers: Patrick Crayton wanted out the minute the Dallas Cowboys drafted Dez Bryant. He finally got his wish Friday, and it might’ve been worth the wait. Crayton was dealt to the San Diego Chargers, where he’ll be a bigger part of the offense than he would’ve been in Dallas and he will still be playing for a contender. Dallas received only future considerations, likely a late-round draft pick. Crayton was among the team’s most sure-handed receivers, catching 196 passes for 2,888 yards and 23 touchdowns in 82 games, including 33 starts.

• Broncos’ White out for season: The Denver Broncos’ tailback turnstile keeps on spinning. LenDale White is out for the season after rupturing his Achilles’ tendon, a person familiar with the injury told The Associated Press. White, trying to revive his career with his hometown team after a fallout in Tennessee and a short stay in Seattle, was injured in the second quarter of Denver’s 31-24 exhibition loss at Minnesota on Thursday night. White was signed after Knowshon Moreno (hamstring) and Correll Buckhalter (back) got hurt in camp last month.

• Foles’ big day helps Arizona rout Toledo 41-2: Nick Foles threw for 360 yards and accounted for three touchdowns to help Arizona pound Toledo 41-2 on Friday night in Toledo, Ohio. Foles tossed two touchdown passes and ran for another score as the Wildcats recorded their first road victory outside the Pac-10 in nine seasons. Nic Grigsby scored on a 36-yard run to give Arizona a 14-2 lead and again on a 1-yard score early in the second half. Foles completed 32 of 37 passes. Arizona’s young defense with seven new starters held the Rockets to 16 yards rushing in the first half and 80 for the game.

• No. 14 USC beats Hawaii: Matt Barkley and Ronald Johnson had record nights, connecting on three touchdowns to make Kiffin a winner in his Trojans’ coaching debut. No. 14 USC beat Hawaii 49-36 on Thursday night in Honolulu to start the post-Pete Carroll era. Barkley had 257 yards passing and tied a school record with five TD passes while Johnson matched a USC mark with his three TD catches. Johnson also returned a punt 89 yards for another score in USC’s first game after being hit hard with sanctions by the NCAA that includes a postseason ban this season.

• 12 Tar Heels out for LSU game: Twelve players from North Carolina won’t play in the 18th-ranked Tar Heels’ opener against No. 21 LSU in Atlanta today amid an ongoing NCAA investigation. The school said Friday that six players — defensive ends Robert Quinn and Michael McAdoo, cornerbacks Kendric Burney and Charles Brown, receiver Greg Little and suspended defensive tackle Marvin Austin — were declared ineligible for the opener for “violating school and/or NCAA rules.” Another six players — tailbacks Shaun Draughn and Ryan Houston; safeties Brian Gupton, Da’Norris Searcy and Jonathan Smith; and defensive end Linwan Euwell — are being held out of the game during the ongoing investigation.

• Giants acquire QB Rosenfels from Vikings: The New York Giants have acquired quarterback Sage Rosenfels from the Minnesota Vikings for an undisclosed draft pick. A person within the league who is familiar with the trade confirmed the Giants have dealt for Rosenfels to back up Eli Manning. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal has not officially been announced. The Giants lost backup Jim Sorgi with a shoulder injury and he was placed on injured reserve, leaving untested Rhett Bomar as the only other quarterback. Rosenfels was third string behind Brett Favre and Tarvaris Jackson in Minnesota.