Seau Is Expected to Start

San Diego’s six-time Pro Bowl linebacker Junior Seau, who had arthroscopic knee surgery Aug. 4, is expected to start in the Chargers’ game at New Orleans. Seau, listed as questionable earlier this week, was upgraded to probable Thursday.

Seau was injured in the Chargers’ exhibition opener against San Francisco on Aug. 2 and did not suit up for the team’s 41-7 loss to New England last Sunday. He has missed only three starts in eight seasons.

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New England Patriot linebackers Tedy Bruschi and Todd Collins were fined $7,500 each by the NFL for hits on Charger quarterback Stan Humphries last Sunday. Humphries took a helmet-to-helmet shot from Bruschi and a forearm beneath the chin from Collins. Bruschi’s hit split Humphries’ lip. . . . Sixteen days after abandoning his efforts to make the Raider roster as a backup offensive lineman, Robert Jenkins has returned to the team as an assistant offensive line coach. Jenkins, 33, started 23 games for the Raiders the last three seasons. . . . Pittsburgh Steeler reserve linebacker Carlos Emmons will be arraigned in October on a drunk-driving charge stemming from an accident in which his automobile flipped.