Minor Injury, Major Worry Although Diagnosed Ok, Giants Qb Must Sit Out
New York Giants coach Dan Reeves got good news Tuesday.
Being a coach, he made it bad news.
The news was that an MRI confirmed that quarterback Dave Brown had nothing more than a bruise to his right elbow and should be out no more than two weeks.
“This is not a serious injury,” said Dr. Russell Warren, the team’s orthopedic surgeon. “It is a moderate bruise and the recovery should be in the neighborhood of two weeks.”
Warren said Brown had good strength and power in his arm, which was injured on a sack early in Sunday’s exhibition game against Cleveland.
In the interim, the Giants will go with Kent Graham, who was beaten out by Brown for the starting job last year. Behind Graham are second-year-man Stan White and rookie Geoff Bender.
Matthews in Oilers camp
At San Antonio, Houston Oilers guard Bruce Matthews has been to seven consecutive Pro Bowls and has a new $10.3 million contract, but he was a nervous wreck.
“My anxiety and paranoia before the first practice are unbelievable. It kills me,” said Matthews, who ended his holdout and practiced with the Oilers at Trinity University.
Matthews signed a four-year, $10.3 million contract.
Matthews is moving from center to left guard this season because the Oilers acquired former Dallas Cowboys center Mark Stepnoski from free agency.
McMahon likes chances
At Berea, Ohio, Jim McMahon said he has joined the Cleveland Browns hoping for one more chance to relive the winning Super Bowl experience he had with the dominating 1985 Chicago Bears.
“I want to go back to the Super Bowl, and I think this is my best opportunity, from what was out there being offered,” he said.
He threw the ball in afternoon practice drills.
McMahon, who will turn 36 this month, said he contemplated retirement last season, after Arizona coach Buddy Ryan made him a backup to Jay Schroeder.
“I was very disappointed in the way things happened in Phoenix last year. For those of you who know Buddy, he does it his way, and his way was to play Jay,” he said.
Mora downplays investigation
At La Crosse, Wis., New Orleans Saints coach Jim Mora downplayed an investigation into a woman’s complaint that she was sexually assaulted by a number of players in the team’s dorm.
“I know what happened, so I’m not concerned,” Mora said. “I’m not happy, but I’m not concerned.”
A Minnesota woman told police she was assaulted early Sunday morning in the dormitory at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
The Saints, who had lost their first exhibition game with the Green Bay Packers on Saturday, were given Saturday night and Sunday off. The normal curfew and 11 p.m. bedcheck were not in effect.
More signings
At Rocklin, Calif., Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield ended a 21-day holdout, signing a three-year deal with the 49ers that figures to be worth an average of $2.25 million per season. He also received a signing bonus of $2 million and will earn roster bonuses of $750,000 per year in ‘96 and ‘97 if he is a member of the team on March 1 of those years.
At Austin, Texas, Pro Bowl defensive tackle Leon Lett has accepted a contract extension worth $14 million that commits him to the Cowboys for the next five seasons. … The agent for Darrin Smith says he’ll advise the linebacker to sit out most of the season rather than sign for Dallas’ latest one-year offer of $425,000.
At Madison, N.J., Giants’ firstround draft pick Tyrone Wheatley ended a 16-day holdout from training camp by signing a five-year contract. Wheatley’s deal reportedly is worth at least $5.2 million overall, but the key to it is that it includes as much as $2.2 million in incentives.
Oakland update
Without a vote by the Oakland City Council or Alameda County supervisors, city and county negotiators added an extraordinary 11th-hour provision to the deal to bring back the Raiders that could require the public to pay nearly $5 million to the NFL.