Rivers agrees to terms with Chargers

Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2004 | 4 a.m.

Rookie quarterback Phillip Rivers ended his lengthy holdout, agreeing to terms on a six-year contract with the San Diego Chargers.

The contract will pay Rivers $40.5 million, including a $14.25 million signing bonus. He can earn $10 million more in incentives.

Chargers general manager A.J. Smith said Rivers was driving to the team's training camp from San Diego on Monday night and was expected to sign the contract later that night or early Tuesday.

Rivers, taken by the New York Giants with the No. 4 pick in this year's draft, was acquired by Chargers in the deal that sent quarterback Eli Manning to New York. Manning was selected by San Diego with the No. 1 overall pick.

The 6-foot-5 Rivers, who missed four weeks of training camp and two preseason games, is unlikely to get the starting job immediately. In his absence, three-year veteran Drew Brees has performed well and will likely lead the team at the start of the season.

Rivers was a four-year starter at North Carolina State, where he set an NCAA record with 51 career starts and is the second-leading passer in NCAA history with 13,484 yards. He completed 72 percent of his passes last year, with 34 touchdowns. In four seasons, he threw 95 TD passes and completed 64 percent of his attempts.

While the Chargers got their quarterback, several other teams lost key players to injuries.

Seattle Seahawks' three-time Pro Bowl linebacker Chad Brown broke his left leg during practice Monday. And Baltimore lost center Mike Flynn, who started all but one game since becoming a starter in 2000.

Coach Mike Holmgren said Brown will undergo surgery as soon as possible and is expected to miss at least four regular-season games. He was hurt getting his feet tangled with tight end Itula Mili during a practice drill.

Flynn broke his right collarbone early in the Ravens' practice session. He was part of the unit that helped Jamal Lewis run for 2,066 yards last season, second highest total in NFL history.

New Orleans quarterback Aaron Brooks, who missed the first preseason game, will probably miss the third as well. He re-injured a ligament in the top of his thigh against the Packers. On Monday he was sore and back where he was when he first hurt himself.

Brooks said he doubted he would do much this week in practice or in the game.

"I think it's best for me to rest it and try to get the treatment I need so I can start getting ready for Seattle," Brooks said. "That's right around the corner."

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Eagles

Philadelphia signed 34-year-old Dorsey Levens to help fill the spot vacated at running back when Correll Buckhalter was lost for the season with a knee injury Friday against the Baltimore Ravens. Levens played for the Eagles two years ago and was with the New York Giants last year.

Levens was signed by the Eagles the first time after Buckhalter was hurt and ran for 475 yards and a 5.5 yard-per-carry average.

"I don't have a lot of mileage on my body so I'm fresh," he said.

Also, defensive end Jevon Kearse aggravated his sprained right ankle in Friday's game and did not practice Monday. The injury is not thought to be serious.

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Giants

Linebacker Carlos Emmons returned to practice after spending more than two weeks on the sideline because of pain in the leg he broke last season.

"It's definitely a relief," Emmons said. "I have to work on things."

The Giants signed the former Philadelphia Eagles player as a free agent in the offseason, thinking he would fill the spot that opened when Brandon Short left to sign with Carolina.

Emmons practiced for the first week of training camp at the University at Albany. However, he developed pain in the leg around Aug. 6, the day before a practice session with the New York Jets.

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Panthers

The Carolina Panthers were relieved to find out Monday that guard Tutan Reyes has a sprained ankle rather than a broken one.

The Panthers had feared a broken bone after Reyes had to be carted off the field at Sunday's practice.

"It's good, but it's a high ankle sprain and that's tough business for a big guy," offensive line coach Mike Maser said. "Anytime you injure a wheel, and you're a big person, it takes a while to get back."

Reyes was injured about 30 minutes after tackle Matt Willig was taken off the field with a knee injury. It turned out to be just a bruise. The Panthers have a revamped offensive line this year, one season after they used just seven players. Center Jeff Mitchell was the only one to miss a start.

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Vikings

Pro Bowl center Matt Birk was over the ball Monday for the first time since the second day of training camp.

Birk, who had surgery Aug. 4 to repair a hernia, was expected to need three to five weeks to recover. He started running last week, and said he hopes to be in the lineup for the Vikings' last preseason game Sept. 2 against Seattle.

"It's getting better," Birk said. "Hopefully next week I can start doing some real stuff."

Meanwhile, receiver Marcus Robinson will miss Minnesota's two remaining preseason games to rest his problematic left hamstring.

Robinson, who signed a four-year, $9.4 million deal in March to be the Vikings' No. 2 receiver, left practice after tweaking the hamstring.

The same injury, officially diagnosed as a strain, forced him to miss nearly half the team's padded practices in training camp, as well as Saturday's preseason loss in Atlanta.

After Robinson felt another twinge Monday, the training staff and coach Mike Tice agreed it would be best to rest him until the regular season.

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Colts

Linebacker Gilbert Gardner was told his right ankle injury wasn't nearly as bad as first feared.

After Saturday's 31-7 loss to the New York Jets, Colts coach Tony Dungy said Gardner had a high ankle sprain. An MRI showed the injury was less serious.

Gardner likely will not play or practice this week but was hopeful to be on the field next week against Cincinnati in the Colts' preseason finale.

Dungy said Gardner may still miss a couple of weeks, and if it's longer, the Colts may have to change the depth chart.

Possible changes could include moving veterans Jim Nelson or Gary Brackett into Gardner's backup slot or even putting David Thornton there.

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Packers

Disturbed by third-round draft pick B.J. Sander's struggles, Green Bay signed 40-year-old punter Bryan Barker.

Barker, a 15-year NFL veteran who punted for Washington the last three seasons, won a three-way punt-off with 39-year-old free agents Mark Royals and Dan Stryzinski.

Special teams coach John Bonamego, who used to work with Barker in Jacksonville, said it's an open competition.

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Titans

Pro Bowl punter Craig Hentrich will miss practice time this week after an MRI showed a muscle strain is causing back spasms.

Hentrich originally hurt himself last week and sat out a few days before reaggravating his back during pregame warmups Saturday in Buffalo.

Coach Jeff Fisher said Hentrich might be held out of the Titans' visit to Dallas on Aug. 30 to help the punter heal.