Roethlisberger Is Making Progress

Ben Roethlisberger’s broken jaw did not have to be wired shut, a factor that could hasten his recovery from his motorcycle accident, and the Steelers quarterback got out of his hospital bed for the first time Wednesday in Pittsburgh to talk with teammates and family members.

Doctors said tests again showed no brain injuries, although Roethlisberger has a concussion from Monday’s accident.

Because Roethlisberger’s multiple facial fractures, broken nose and broken upper and lower jaw are being held in place by screws and two-inch titanium plates, he can eat soft foods -- and not be restricted to liquids -- during an estimated six- to eight-week recovery period.

As a result, he probably won’t lose as much weight as he would have on an all-liquid diet.

Based on the hospital’s projection that he could be sent home within three to five days, Roethlisberger could be discharged as early as today.

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Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry was charged with providing alcohol to three underage females in Covington, Ky., his fourth arrest in the last seven months.

Henry, 23, surrendered to Kenton County authorities on three misdemeanor counts of unlawful transaction with a minor and posted a $2,500 bond. He could get up to a year in jail and a $500 fine on each count if convicted.

The team declined to comment.

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NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, joined by a coterie of team owners and executives, met Wednesday night for a working dinner with about a dozen Los Angeles business leaders, with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa declaring that excitement for the return of the NFL is “palpable.”

The dinner, intended to gauge business support in helping to meet an expected $800-million stadium cost, marked the first turn in a two-day NFL meet-and-greet.

A lunch with Orange County-based executives is on tap today.

The league is weighing $800-million plans to renovate the Coliseum or build a new facility in Anaheim, in the parking lot by Angel Stadium.

The Los Angeles area has been without an NFL team since after the 1994 season, when the Rams left for St. Louis and the Raiders returned to Oakland.

-- Alan Abrahamson

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Left tackle Brad Hopkins, 35, retired after 13 seasons. He had been released by the Tennessee Titans in March.