No cancer for Eagles' Maclin

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, who still hasn’t practiced this preseason, has been cleared to return to the team after a cancer scare, trainer Rick Burkholder said Wednesday.

Burkholder said, barring a setback, Maclin will return to practice within 10 days and should be able to play in the Sept. 11 opener at St. Louis.

Burkholder said Maclin began experiencing symptoms – night sweats, fever, loss of weight, loss of appetite – in March, synonymous with lymphoma, a form of cancer. But five months of testing to determine the cause were inconclusive.

Burkholder said in a conference call from Pittsburgh, where the Eagles face the Steelers in an exhibition game tonight, that Maclin’s symptoms disappeared at some point before late July. He said the cause of the symptoms remains “vague.”

“We’re confident that the life-threatening stuff is out of the mix,” Burkholder said. “Right now, we’re going to look at him as having an inflammatory condition that caused him to have the symptoms and the abnormal blood studies.”

Maclin underwent a laparoscopy procedure last Thursday so doctors could get a clearer biopsy than previous tests had provided. The results came back Wednesday, and were negative for cancer.

Maclin, 23, caught 70 passes for 964 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.

$20,000 HITS TO WALLET

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and Jacksonville Jaguars rookie linebacker Mike Lockley have been fined $20,000 each for respective hits during the exhibition season.

Suh, the NFL defensive rookie of the year last season, grabbed Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton high last week and threw the rookie to the turf in the first quarter of a game. Suh was flagged for unnecessary roughness.

Lockley also was flagged for unnecessary roughness in the fourth quarter for a hit leading with his helmet on New England Patriots receiver Taylor Price.

Because Lockley is not getting paid a regular-season salary, he will have to pay the fine only if he makes Jacksonville’s roster or lands with another team.

EXTRA POINTS

The 49ers signed veteran quarterback Josh McCown to a one-year deal for the league minimum of $810,000. The 32-year-old was with the United Football League’s Hartford Colonials last year. … Former Bills first-round pick Aaron Maybin, waived by Buffalo on Monday, agreed to terms with the New York Jets on Wednesday morning, passed his physical a few hours later and then signed with the team. … The Chargers signed tight end Charles Davis to a one-year contract and released linebacker James Holt. … The Jets have confirmed that versatile offensive lineman Robert Turner has a broken right leg that will require surgery later this week, and running back Joe McKnight has a concussion. … Safety Randy Phillips, one of the former Miami Hurricanes to whom ex-booster Nevin Shapiro told Yahoo Sports he gave improper benefits from 2002 to 2010, has been waived injured by the Lions. … Authorities in Charlotte, N.C., say the apartment of Panthers defensive tackle Corvey Irvin was hit by burglars while he was away at the team’s training camp in Spartanburg, S.C. The missing items include a $1,000 pair of Louis Vuitton sunglasses, a $500 television, and an Xbox 360.