This time it looks like the NFL commissioner will be all business.

The five finalists to succeed Paul Tagliabue were announced yesterday with, no surprise, early favorite Roger Goodell still on the list. Unlike last time, when the late Jim Finks, then the Saints' general manager, was deadlocked with Tagliabue for three months, none of them has a background that includes playing or coaching in the NFL or running a team.

The closest is the 47-year-old Goodell, who remains a clear favorite — as he has been for the last five years or so, or since he was appointed chief operating officer, the No. 2 job to Tagliabue. Goodell, son of a former U.S. senator from New York, began his NFL career in 1982 as an intern in the league office, interned with the New York Jets for a year, and then returned to the league.

The other with an NFL background is Gregg Levy, who holds the same job Tagliabue held when he became commissioner — the league's outside counsel. Because he is known by most of the owners, he is considered the most likely challenger.

The other three finalists are Frederick Nance, a Cleveland lawyer; Robert L. Reynolds, of Concord, Mass., the vice chairman and chief operating officer of Fidelity Investments; and Mayo A. Shattuck III of Baltimore, chairman of the board, president and CEO of Constellation Energy.

Shattuck's contact with the NFL: His wife, Molly, who is 39, made the Baltimore Ravens' cheerleading squad for the second straight year this season.

Reynolds was a college football official for 15 years.

They were selected from a group of 11 semifinalists by a committee of eight owners headed by Pittsburgh's Dan Rooney and Carolina's Jerry Richardson.

"They are five that any one of them could make, in my view, a great commissioner in the NFL," said Dallas owner Jerry Jones, a member of the committee.

STEELERS

ROETHLISBERGER MAKES TRAINING CAMP DEBUT

Ben Roethlisberger only needed to show up at training camp to get Steelers fans fired up.

They screamed in delight, yelled out his name, asked him to slow down so they could snap more pictures.

"They were loud, and they were cheering for any little thing that happened," coach Bill Cowher said of the 10,000-plus fans watching practice.

That Roethlisberger was back with his teammates, throwing passes to first-round draft pick Santonio Holmes was anything but ordinary.

The youngest quarterback to win the Super Bowl is less than two months removed from a potentially tragic motorcycle accident that easily could have ended his life, and having him back on the field so soon is more than the Steelers and their fans could have expected.

"I got the arm loosened up, and the body, and proved a lot of people wrong," Roethlisberger said. "I felt real comfortable. The body feels real good, the head feels good, so it was a good day."

SEAHAWKS

Seattle and first-round draft choice Kelly Jennings agreed on a multiyear contract yesterday — two days after he was due to report to training camp. Jennings, the 31st overall pick in April's draft, said he signed for a guaranteed $5 million. Jennings could earn as much as $9.5 million over the entire contract, including incentives.

REDSKINS

Rookie linebacker Roger "Rocky" McIntosh signed a four-year contract with Washington yesterday, a day before the team opens training camp. Details were not announced. The deal means all of the players on Washington's roster are under contract.

TITANS

Defensive tackle Rien Long will need season-ending surgery on his injured Achilles' tendon after an MRI exam showed it was severed, Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher said yesterday. The Titans placed Long, a three-year veteran, on injured reserve. His roster spot was filled yesterday when running back LenDale White reported for camp after the paperwork on his contract had been completed.

BENGALS

Cincinnati signed third-round pick Frostee Rucker, one of four Bengals arrested in the last two months, to a four-year contract yesterday, bringing the last of their draft picks into camp. Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed.

RAMS

St. Louis came to terms yesterday with cornerback Tye Hill, its first-round pick and the 15th overall selection in the draft. Contract terms were not immediately available for Hill, who missed the first six practices.

PACKERS

Green Bay defensive tackle Ryan Pickett sustained a mild concussion in a car accident and was cited for failure to yield while turning. Pickett, 26, said yesterday he was sorry about the accident, in which he and another vehicle collided near the Lambeau Field parking lot on Saturday in Green Bay, Wis. "Obviously, I regret that it happened," Pickett said.

49ERS

Safety Mark Roman signed with San Francisco yesterday, three days after he was cut by Green Bay. Roman had 90 tackles and two interceptions last season, but was released one day before the Packers opened training camp. To make room, the 49ers released safety Ben Emanuel, who played sparingly last season.