PRO FOOTBALL REPORT / WEEKDAY UPDATE : CHARGERS : Brown on IR; Mickles, Goss Signed

In addition to placing tight end Rod Bernstine on injured reserve Wednesday, the Chargers also put linebacker Richard Brown (hamstring) on injured reserve and signed running back Joe Mickles and linebacker Antonio Goss.

Brown, the captain of the Charger special teams unit, has been slowed by a hamstring injury in the past several games.

“I was trying to help out, but it didn’t look right on the films,” Brown said. “I was one of the last guys down on kickoffs. (The hamstring) was getting worse rather than better.”

Mickles, released by the Chargers during training camp after he suffered a knee injury, and Goss, a 12th-round selection of the San Francisco 49ers in the 1989 draft, will be used strictly on special teams unless there are injuries.

The addition of Mickles and Goss may benefit running backs Marion Butts and Ronnie Harmon, whose special teams’ duties will now be diminished.

Charger injuries: Safety Vencie Glenn (knee), tackle Leo Goeas (knee), linebacker Junior Seau (ankle/groin), quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver (knee) and defensive end Lee Williams (chest) are questionable for Sunday’s game against Seattle at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium. All five are expected to play.

Butts, who is still recovering from a knee strain and a thigh bruise, is also expected to play. “Butts is just generally banged up,” Coach Dan Henning said. “Nothing more than you get when you’re a running back after 11 games.”

The Seahawks have no significant injuries.

The Chargers will have morning workouts today to allow players the afternoon off for Thanksgiving.

Each player received a turkey Wednesday after practice. Henning won’t be eating turkey today, though. He’s having Thanksgiving dinner at the house of Bobby Jackson, the Charger running back coach. The main course: Pork chops.