Denver QB Plummer sidelined four weeks

Denver — Denver Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer will be sidelined about four weeks because of a broken left foot.

Plummer, who missed last week’s game against Pittsburgh because of a shoulder injury, initially injured his foot Oct. 5 against Kansas City.

The Broncos medical staff believes Plummer likely had a stress reaction in his foot which didn’t show up on X-rays, then broke the foot at home Monday night.

Steve Beuerlein, who played in Plummer’s absence against Pittsburgh, now continues as the starter.

The Broncos (5-1) play Minnesota, Baltimore and New England the next three weeks, then have a bye.

Injured leg sidelines Chicago QB Stewart

Lake Forest, Ill. — Chris Chandler will start for the Chicago Bears Sunday against the Seahawks in Seattle, replacing Kordell Stewart, who has a leg injury.

Chandler, a 16-year veteran, practiced Wednesday with the first team and coach Dick Jauron told him of his assignment at the end of practice.

Last season, Chandler completed 103 of 161 passes for 1,123 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions in relief of Jim Miller.

Rams WR Furrey has appendectomy

St. Louis — St. Louis Rams wide receiver Mike Furrey will miss at least one game after undergoing an appendectomy Tuesday night.

Furrey, who made the team as an undrafted free agent, has two catches for 14 yards in four games as the fourth receiver. Rookie Shaun McDonald, a fourth-round pick this year who’s been hampered by a thumb injury, will move up to that slot.

Coach Mike Martz said another rookie, Kevin Curtis, could make his NFL debut Sunday against the Packers; he was listed as questionable. Curtis won the third wide receiver job before breaking his leg in the preseason.

Reeves changes QBs: Kittner in, Johnson out

Flowery Branch, Ga. — Mired in a five-game losing streak, the Atlanta Falcons are changing quarterbacks, giving Kurt Kittner his first career start.

Kittner, a second-year player from Illinois, will replace Doug Johnson when the Falcons (1-5) play host to the New Orleans Saints (2-4) Sunday.

“You have to make some tough decisions,” coach Dan Reeves said Wednesday after practice. “We’ve been struggling for five weeks, and I just feel like we need to make a change. I told Doug I feel badly. Everybody on offense should, because he’s the one who gets the blame for it.”

Johnson, who stepped in as the starter when Pro Bowler Michael Vick broke his right leg in a preseason game, leads the NFL with 10 interceptions.

McNabb says thumb won’t send him to bench

Philadelphia — Donovan McNabb’s injured right thumb throbs when he throws, affecting his grip and his ability to make even the simplest plays like pump-faking or accurately tossing the deep ball.

While it’s painful, it’s not severe enough to consider sitting out a week or two and turning Philadelphia’s offense over to Koy Detmer or A.J. Feeley.

“I want to show the team I’ll be out there every day for them,” McNabb said Wednesday. “I’m not here to take days off. That would be a call the training staff would have to do. I want to be out there all the time.”

But at what cost?

His numbers, even before spraining his right thumb Sept. 29, are unimpressive.

McNabb has completed only 49.1 percent of his passes for 790 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions.