The Associated Press

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Their quarterback situation a mess, the Chicago Bears will bring in Tim Couch for a physical and a tryout today.

Chicago starter Rex Grossman is out for the season with a knee injury and backup Jonathan Quinn has struggled in two starts. Rookie Craig Krenzel and Chad Hutchinson, who started nine games for the Cowboys as a rookie in 2002, are also in the mix.

Couch, first pick in the 1999 draft by the Browns, was released in June and signed with the Packers.

But bothered by a sore arm and a difficulty grasping the offense, he completed just 11 of 34 passes for 96 yards in three preseason games for Green Bay and was cut Sept. 5.

"He was injured early. He's well now, so we want to give him a physical and see exactly where he is. Let him work out and see exactly where he is there and kind of go from there," Bears coach Lovie Smith said Thursday.

"Hopefully he will have a great workout and we'll try to do something with him. But right now it's nothing more than a physical and a workout."

Couch started 59 games for the Browns, passing for 64 touchdowns and 11,131 yards, but his $7.6 million contract for 2004 made him expendable when the Browns signed free agent Jeff Garcia to be their starter.

While with the Browns, Couch led a comeback against the St. Louis Rams when Smith was their defensive coordinator. Cleveland didn't win that game, but Smith took notice.

"We all know who Tim Couch is and what his background is. I'm intrigued by that," Smith said. "He's supposed to be well now, and hopefully his arm has healed up and we'll see the old Tim."

• Defensive end Adewale Ogunleye says he has a small tear in the ligament of his right ankle and won't play Sunday. Ogunleye was not ruled out but was downgraded on the injury list Thursday from questionable to doubtful.

WILLIAMS VS. NFL: Ricky Williams abruptly retired from the Miami Dolphins last summer because he disagreed with the NFL over a disputed drug test. Williams now wants to play again.

Attorney David Cornwell said Thursday the league "took a position regarding that test that we thought was inappropriate."

"What we challenged was the testing and the specimen from last December's testing," Cornwell said after a 90-minute meeting with two NFL officials and a union representative aimed at resuming the star running back's career.

Williams did not attend the meeting. Cornwell said his client is taking classes in Northern California and refused to elaborate.

HALL OF FAME: Quarterbacks Dan Marino and Steve Young and wide receiver Michael Irvin are among nine first-time nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Commissioner Paul Tagliabue also is among the 89 nominees on the preliminary ballot.

Marino, who holds the career records for yards passing, completions and touchdown passes, spent his entire 16-season career with the Dolphins. Young played first in the NFL for Tampa Bay, then starred with San Francisco, setting a record for touchdown passes in a Super Bowl with six in the 1995 game.

Irvin starred for the Dallas teams that won three Super Bowls in four seasons in the 1990s.

PANTHERS: Carolina linebacker Mark Fields is ready to play Sunday against San Diego after missing two games with a back injury. Fields, who sat out last year battling Hodgkin's disease, left in the first quarter of the Oct. 3 game against Atlanta and has not played since.

RAIDERS: Oakland defensive line coach Sam Clancy was taken from the team's practice facility on a stretcher Thursday and rushed to a hospital after complaining of chest pains and shortness of breath during practice. Clancy, 46, had a breathing apparatus over his mouth when he was placed in the ambulance just prior to the end of practice.

BILLS: Defensive coordinator Jerry Gray signed a contract extension with Buffalo Thursday. Terms were not immediately available, but Gray was entering the final year of his contract.

Return to Bengals front page...