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Archive for Tuesday, November 30, 2004

George returns to NFL

Journeyman QB signs with Bears

November 30, 2004

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— Jeff George signed a one-year deal Monday with Chicago, returning to the NFL after a three-year absence.

George will be the backup to Chad Hutchinson, who will make his first start in two years Sunday against Minnesota.

"I'm just excited to be back in it. It's a great opportunity for me, and I'm very thankful for them bringing me in," George said after his first practice with his new team. "Whatever role the Bears want me to do, I'm willing to do that. I can't say enough how happy I am and how thankful I am to be out here."

George was the No. 1 pick in the 1990 NFL draft and has one of the strongest arms in the game. But he's 46-78 as a starter and has played for six teams, not lasting longer than four years with any one of them.

George hasn't played since 2001, when he was cut after two games with the Redskins. In his last two games with Washington, George had a quarterback rating of 34.6, completing 23 of 42 passes with three interceptions.

Cardinals

Tempe, Ariz. -- Arizona is turning to yet another quarterback, this time rookie John Navarre.

The seventh-round draft pick from Michigan, who never has taken a snap in an NFL regular-season game, will make his debut Sunday when the Cardinals visit Detroit.

Coach Dennis Green announced the move Monday, benching Shaun King after two starts and going with Navarre over Josh McCown, who had the job for the first nine games.

Broncos

Denver -- Cornerback Lenny Walls was lost for the season after he dislocated his shoulder for the third time in the last 10 weeks. Walls, who hurt himself Sunday in Denver's 25-24 loss to Oakland, will have surgery and be placed on injured reserve.

Walls started for the Broncos (7-4) last year, but lost that spot after he hurt his foot on the first day of training camp. He returned for the season opener, but missed four games this year because of the various shoulder injuries.

Browns

Berea, Ohio -- Linebacker Andra Davis will miss the remainder of the season after tearing a ligament in his left knee against the Bengals.

The Browns will place Davis on the injured-reserve list, making him the 13th player on it during a season of costly injuries for Cleveland (3-8), which has lost five straight games.

Davis tore the medial collateral ligament in his left knee in the third quarter when Bengals tight end Tony Stewart rolled up on his leg. The injury is to the same knee that Davis had repaired when he played at Florida.

Vikings

Eden Prairie, Minn. -- Onterrio Smith, not former Pro Bowler Michael Bennett, will be Minnesota's starting running back for now.

"We'll try to define a role for Mike," coach Mike Tice said, "but I think right now we'll try to ride Onterrio and see how he progresses down the stretch."

Smith, in his second year out of Oregon, racked up 421 combined yards in the Vikings' first three games before serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. He had a season-high 20 carries for 72 yards in Sunday's 27-16 win over Jacksonville.

Bennett, a starter in four of the Vikings' previous five games, was in for a handful of plays Sunday and didn't carry the ball. He has gained just 89 yards on 27 carries since returning from a sprained knee Oct. 24.

Bills

Orchard Park, N.Y. -- Travis Henry might not have broken a bone in his right leg, as first feared, according to coach Mike Mularkey. The team is conducting further tests on the running back and should have a more definitive diagnosis when the Bills (5-6) return to practice Wednesday.

Henry, the backup to Willis McGahee, was hurt four plays into the team's opening drive in a 38-9 win Sunday at Seattle. Linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski tackled Henry and rolled up on his leg following a five-yard reception.

Titans

Nashville, Tenn. -- Tennessee officially ended safety Tank Williams' season by placing him and rookie safety Justin Sandy on injured reserve, allowing them to activate defensive end Bo Schobel and cornerback Tony Beckham off the physically unable-to-perform list.

Beckham tore his right ACL in April, while Schobel broke a bone in his right foot in June.

Coach Jeff Fisher said Schobel would be included in the defensive-line rotation, while Beckham might be questionable.

Giants

East Rutherford, N.J. -- Defensive end Chuck Wiley will miss the rest of the season because of a knee injury.

Wiley, who was signed earlier this month after Michael Strahan and Keith Washington were lost for the season because of injuries, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Sunday's game against Philadelphia.

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