Ravens WR Derrick Mason says the death of former teammate and friend Steve McNair was a major factor in his contemplating retirement.

Derrick’s Mason’s love for the game led many of those close to him to suspect he would return to the Baltimore Ravens sometime this month. Maybe just not this quickly.

Less than a month after surprisingly announcing his retirement, Derrick Mason is making a comeback with the Baltimore Ravens. The veteran receiver will send a letter to the NFL stating his intention to return to the league and is expected to join the Ravens on the field Sunday.

Get the latest news and notes from around the league, including an update on Bucs RB Cadillac Williams‘ condition heading into training camp and how the Broncos feel about disgruntled WR Brandon Marshall.

The Ravens started training camp Monday without their most productive wide receiver and their first-round draft pick.

With Derrick Mason’s retirement, the onus will be on Ravens personnel wizard Ozzie Newsome to replace the wily veteran wide receiver. But the Broncos could do themselves and the Ravens a favor by trading Brandon Marshall to Baltimore.

Michael Vick completed his 23-month federal sentence Monday, but having been confined to his home for the last two months, the indefinitely suspended quarterback spent the last three weekends in his backyard training with speed and conditioning coach Tom Shaw, The St. Petersburg Times reports. Shaw, who has worked with quarterbacks Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Jay Cutler in the past, said he is putting Vick through a training program designed to sharpen his skills as a quarterback.

Invariably, there are a few things that I can’t get to, or forget to mention during NFL Total Access, or just a few things to follow up on. So here are a few midday thoughts and observations.

While Derrick Mason remains in retirement purgatory, the Ravens will begin looking at free-agent wide receivers to replace the veteran.

What we’ll look at tonight’s topics we spin Around The League on NFL Network’s Total Access … and I’ll explain why never to leave one’s Ipod in the car.

Good to be back at work after a week of vacation. Now it’s time to touch on a few topics that have been in the news while I was gone, and some of these I likely will be following up on this week on NFL Total Access.

The Baltimore Sun reports that Ravens coach John Harbaugh plans to talk with veteran WR Derrick Mason, who announced his intention to retire earlier this week.

Packers legend Paul Hornung told a crowd of supporters that Brett Favre will not win if he goes to Minnesota. He is the second member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame to take aim at Favre during the offseason.

If he holds to the decision that was reported Monday, Derrick Mason’s retirement comes at a very bad time for the Ravens. In many ways, Mason holds all the cards, and the Ravens now have a much different set of issues to address.

Michael Fabiano breaks down the fantasy implications of the sudden retirement of Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason.