The Associated Press

Marc Boerigter will undergo knee surgery today and might be lost for the year, throwing Kansas City's tattered wide receiver corps into even greater disarray.

Boerigter, who seemed ready to rebound from a subpar 2003 season, twisted his right knee in a noncontact play early in the Chiefs' 21-19 exhibition loss Saturday night to Cleveland.

Coach Dick Vermeil said Sunday that doctors believe Boerigter might have suffered ligament damage.

"I'll know more tomorrow after they operate as to what the projections are," Vermeil said. "Personally, I don't believe (Boerigter will return) this season. That hurt me more than losing the game."

The 6-foot-3 Boerigter totaled 420 yards and eight touchdowns on just 20 catches in 2002, his first year in the NFL. He slumped last season but looked sharp all through camp, catching four passes for 50 yards last Monday night against St. Louis.

Johnny Morton, slated to start alongside Eddie Kennison at wide receiver, has missed virtually the entire training camp with a sore Achilles' tendon. Kennison, also slowed by injury, made his first start of the preseason against the Browns.

"I have no clue when (Morton) is coming back," Vermeil said. "He broke a sweat last night in the pregame warmups and that was a positive. But an Achilles' tendon isn't like dealing with any other injury to your body."

The enfeebled wide receiver group - never a strength in Vermeil's four seasons - may wind up weakening one of the Chiefs' most potent weapons, the electrifying return game of Dante Hall.

A pro bowler who returned five kicks for touchdowns last year, Hall is also a backup wide receiver. Should he have to shoulder a greater load as a pass-catcher, Hall would almost certainly be relieved of some of his return duties.

"We'll have to have someone else take maybe a punt return from time to time and/or a (kickoff)," Vermeil said.

"He's not a 210-pound back. He's a physically strong, gifted athlete. But we don't want to wear him out either. It will be a factor."

Kennison, who returned punts for 1,343 yards and three scores in three years with Vermeil at St. Louis, would probably relieve Hall.

"Eddie Kennison is a very fine punt returner. He likes to do it, too," Vermeil said. "He did both for me at the Rams."

Vermeil said the Chiefs will shop for a wide receiver, but will not be interested in talking with Keenan McCardell, who is holding out for a contract extension with Tampa Bay.

"If they can't sign him, how could we?" Vermeil said. "I've always had better luck coaching the people I have and trying to help them get better. We're not rebuilding a team any more."

SEAHAWKS: Seattle placed No. 3 quarterback Brock Huard on injured reserve Sunday. Huard hasn't practiced since having muscle spasms in his back on Aug. 5.

A third-round pick in 1999, Huard spent his first three seasons with the Seahawks and then two years in Indianapolis before re-signing with Seattle in the offseason.

Huard completed 60-of-107 passes for 689 yards, with four touchdowns and three interceptions in eight career games, four of them starts.

BRONCOS: Denver Broncos defensive end Luther Elliss is expected to miss up to two weeks because of a torn pectoral muscle.

Elliss missed the first nine weeks of last season with a similar injury.

"Right now, it's swollen and I have no strength and limited motion," Elliss said Sunday. "I know it's not as bad as the last time."

Elliss came out of Friday's exhibition game against Houston early in the first quarter favoring his left arm after a 27-yard touchdown run by Tony Hollings.

"I had a bad angle on the play, tried to readjust and I had to lay out for him," Elliss said. "That's when I felt something. The next play I tried to make a move on the pass rush and I couldn't do the move."

Elliss said he hoped sitting out practices this week and next would be enough to have him ready for the regular season opener against Kansas City.

"Indications are it's not nearly as bad as they thought it was, and not a reoccurrence of what he had," defensive coordinator Larry Coyer said. "We hope it's a temporary setback and we go forward."

Elliss had already missed most of training camp with a strained hamstring.

The team had nothing to report on Mike Anderson's injured left groin.

Anderson injured his groin with 1:56 left in the game against Houston while on the punting unit.

Return to Bengals front page...