Kuechenberg memorial service to be private

Bob Kuechenberg, the longtime former Miami Dolphins great who died last weekend, will be remembered at a private memorial service on Jan. 26, in Miami Lakes. No public service open to fans is planned.

The family suggests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Kuechenberg’s name to The Buoniconti Fund, the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis. Nick Buoniconti and Kuechenberg were Dolphins teammates for six seasons in the 1970s.

Kuechenberg died late Saturday at age 71. As a decorated Dolphins guard in 1970-84, “Kooch” made six Pro Bowls and was instrumental in the club’s 1972 Perfect Season and second consecutive Super Bowl win in 1973.

Kuechenberg never was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame despite being a regular finalist, but longtime coach Don Shula said of him: “I’ve coached a lot of Hall of Fame players, including a number of offensive linemen, and Kooch was as good as any of them.”

Kuechenberg’s surviving relatives include an older brother, Rudy, 75, who also played in the NFL, as a linebacker in 1967-71.

ELSEWHERE

Chiefs: Safety Eric Berry and running back Spencer Ware returned to practice Wednesday, raising the possibility that both will be available Sunday for their AFC championship showdown with New England.

Berry missed most of the season with a heel injury that developed in training camp, then played parts of two games against the Chargers and Seahawks. The heel began to bother him again the next week, and he did not practice last week or play in the divisional round against Indianapolis.

Ware hurt his hamstring in a Week 14 win over the Ravens.

Steelers: Pittsburgh president Art Rooney II said the team still hasn’t heard from wayward wide receiver Antonio Brown since he left Heinz Field following a victory over Cincinnati in the regularseason finale on Dec. 30. Rooney said the team has “left everything open” in terms of Brown’s future, including a potential reconciliation but added “there aren’t that many signs out there that that is going to happen.”

Jets: Gregg Williams has been hired as New York’s defensive coordinator, the first major staff addition by Adam Gase since he became coach.

Lions: Detroit has hired Darrell Bevell as its new offensive coordinator. Bevell spent seven seasons as Seattle’s offensive coordinator from 2011-17 and was part of a Super Bowl winner with the Seahawks. Prior to joining the Seahawks, he was Minnesota’s offensive coordinator for five seasons and a quarterbacks coach for Green Bay.

Buccaneers: Tampa Bay has named Byron Leftwich as the team’s new offensive coordinator.

Packers: Green Bay hired former Jacksonville assistant Nathaniel Hackett as their new offensive coordinator.

Jaguars: Jacksonville hired former Minnesota offensive coordinator John DeFilippo to the same position.

Bills: Buffalo re-signed veteran linebacker Lorenzo Alexander to a oneyear contract.