NEW YORK — New York Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde had surgery to remove a benign tumor from his right foot Wednesday and will be sidelined until training camp in July.

        The tumor, described by coach Herman Edwards as “about an inch big,” was discovered on a bone two weeks ago.

        “He came out of surgery fine,” Edwards said Wednesday. “We'll be waiting for him to be fully recovered and ready for training camp.”

        Edwards said Testaverde will be on crutches for a month, then begin rehabilitation, take part in meetings and hopefully be ready when camp opens July 27.

        “We won't rush anything with Vinny,” Edwards said, adding that backup Chad Pennington will take most of the snaps during the team's minicamp next month and until Testaverde returns. “Vinny's a veteran guy, in tremendous shape, and he takes care of himself.”

        Testaverde, 38, threw for 2,752 yards and 15 touchdowns in leading the Jets to the playoffs last season. There had been some question whether he would be back with the team this season because of salary cap concerns. But the Jets have indicated they plan to keep Testaverde.

        Edwards said offensive coordinator Paul Hackett and Pennington will set up quarterback meetings at Testaverde's home while he recovers.

        The Jets have two other quarterbacks on the roster, Tory Woodbury and Gus Ornstein.

        In 1999, Testaverde missed all but the first half of the season-opener after he tore the Achilles' tendon on his left foot.

        Testaverde has played 15 seasons in the NFL after being the No. 1 overall pick in the 1987 draft by Tampa Bay. He also played for the Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens from 1993-97 before signing with the Jets in '98 as a free agent. He 32-17 record as New York's starter.

        2002 SCHEDULE: The league ended its push for late-season scheduling flexibility to help ABC's sagging Monday Night Football ratings and will release the 2002 schedule today, an NFL source said on condition of anonymity. Earlier this week, NFL officials met with executives from CBS and Fox, trying to convince them to agree to some flexibility for the final four weeks of the regular season.

        EAGLES: Return specialist and running back Brian Mitchell re-signed with the team for one season. Mitchell is the NFL's career leader in kickoff returns (509), kickoff return yardage (11,735), punt return yardage (4,278), combined kick returns (897) and combined kick return yardage (16,013).

        VIKINGS: Wide receiver D'Wayne Bates, a restricted free agent, was signed to an offer sheet. He caught nine passes for 160 yards in three games last season for Chicago.

        COLTS: Running back Dominic Rhodes was charged with domestic abuse after he was accused of hitting and shoving Latrina Moore, the woman he lives with. He was released under $10,000 bond, and a hearing was set for April 8 in Marion Superior Court.

        Moore, who is the mother of Rhodes' 3-year-old child, said Rhodes hit her and shoved her to the floor last week after she confronted him about other women calling their home.

        CARDINALS: The team re-signed center Jason Starkey, tight end Tywan Mitchell and linebacker Michael Young to one-year contracts.

        Starkey played in 14 games with one start last season, and Mitchell caught 25 passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games. Young spent 15 games on the practice squad and was inactive for one other.

        BILLS: Offensive tackle Trey Teague agreed to a contract, which the Buffalo News reported is worth $10million over four years. He started 16 games last season with Denver.

        SAINTS: Cornerback Dale Carter, who signed a $28 million contract this month, has filed for bankruptcy in a Miami court. He filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy Feb.15, listing his debts to more than 20 creditors as $4.9million and his assets as more than $1 million.

        Among his creditors are the Denver Broncos, who contend Carter owes them $4 million in back bonus money because he played just one season of a four-year deal before being suspended for the 2000 season because of a drug violation and released.

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