John Butler, a tough, sometimes gruff ex-Marine, called his lung cancer “just a little setback” and said he’ll continue to run the San Diego Chargers while fighting the disease.

Butler, in his second season as the Chargers’ general manager, was diagnosed with cancer on July 4 and has had his first chemotherapy treatment.

San Francisco cornerback Mike Rumph, the 49ers' top draft pick, signs autographs after practice. Rumph and the 49ers, who will play their first exhibition game against Washington on Saturday in Osaka, Japan, attended training camp Monday in Stockton, Calif.

“We all go through different things in life,” Butler said Tuesday. “There are so many people who are fighting cancer and I hope I’m just as tough and brave as some of the people who fight it, and I guarantee I’m going to fight it.”

Coach Marty Schottenheimer told the players of Butler’s illness at a team meeting Monday night, at Butler’s request. Butler said he’s telling people now because doctors warned there will be physical changes during chemotherapy, such as his hair falling out in clumps.

Butler was in an upbeat mood at a news conference. He said he might shave his head, joking that he’ll look like Tim Dwight, the diminutive receiver who has a shaved head.

“Y’all won’t know Timmy from me, will you?” said Butler, who weighs well over 300 pounds while Dwight weighs 180. “We’ll look like a couple of twins out there.”

Butler said doctors told him the cancer hasn’t spread. But he hasn’t spoken with doctors about survival rates.

“Some people unfortunately don’t make it,” he said. “I’m going to be the other way.”

Butler was a longtime smoker but said his 17-year-old daughter, Andrea, hounded him into stopping during last season.

Jets

The New York Jets got a scare Tuesday when quarterback Vinny Testaverde banged his right thumb on a teammate’s helmet and had to leave morning practice.

Testaverde, however, said there was no major damage. He said he would miss a few days as a precaution although he could be held out of practice longer..

“Anytime you miss a day of camp, it can’t be good,” he said. “I would rather have a setback in camp than during the regular season.”

Testaverde said he has jammed the thumb several times in his 15 years in the NFL.

“It’s usually been just a couple of weeks,” he said. “But I don’t expect to miss too much time. I certainly hope to be back by the start of the regular season. I think I can be back in a couple of days. I don’t have to rush back.”

Lions

Left tackle Jeff Backus, expected to be a key to Detroit’s offensive line this season, left camp Tuesday morning after injuring his left knee.

Backus was blocking in a drill when he crashed to the ground. The 6-5, 309-pound Backus left the field with assistance from trainers.

He was placed on a cart and driven into the inside part of the team’s training facility. There was no immediate word on the severity of the injury.

Steelers

Pittsburgh kicker Todd Peterson bolted training camp Tuesday, but for good reason: to kick at Heinz Field.

Former Steelers kicker Kris Brown had trouble kicking at the new stadium last season, so Peterson plans to practice there regularly all season.

Brown seemed to lose in confidence at Heinz Field after missing four of five attempts in a 13-10 midseason loss to Baltimore. He went on to miss a league-high 14 attempts. Visiting kickers made three of nine attempts there.

“I don’t believe in ghosts and I wouldn’t see them even if they were there,” Peterson said. “I’m trying not to make a mountain out of a molehill. I’ve kicked in a lot of tough places.”

Cardinals

There will be no more jumping for joy after field goals for Bill Gramatica.

Happiness, yes. Some sign of elation, certainly. But none of the wild exuberance that resulted in a torn knee ligament that ended Gramatica’s rookie season after 13 games last year.

“The feeling that I have after kicking a field goal, I’m not going to lose,” Gramatica said after booting a few soaring field goals in Arizona’s morning workout Tuesday. “But the way I express it is something that’s going to change.

“I couldn’t tell you right now what I’m going to do, but I know it’s not going to be jumping around.”

Giants

After waiting five days to reach agreement on an $8.5-million contact, first-round draft pick Jeremy Shockey had to wait more than two hours at a truck stop before finally joining the New York Giants at training camp on Tuesday.

After reaching agreement on a five-year deal on Monday night, Shockey took a flight from Miami to New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The flight was delayed in Florida for three hours and he didn’t arrive until 1:30 a.m.

A car service picked him up at the airport and drove him to the University at Albany, about 150 miles north of the city.

One problem: No one was there at 4 a.m. to greet him. And Shockey, with no telephone numbers he could call, didn’t know what building to go to.

The driver and Shockey found what Shockey described as a truck stop, where they sat and talked until tight ends coach Mike Pope called him on his cell phone.

Seahawks

Seattle signed top draft pick Jerramy Stevens on Tuesday to a five-year contract worth about $6.2 million. Stevens’ agent, Marvin Demoff, confirmed the signing but would not reveal the amount of Stevens’ signing bonus. Seattle selected the tight end with the 28th pick in the first round of the April draft.