PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : RAMS : Rubley Expected to Get the Nod

Coach Chuck Knox is expected to announce T.J. Rubley as the Rams’ starting quarterback for Sunday’s game at San Francisco, the Times learned late Tuesday night.

Although no formal announcement was made, there were strong indications within the club that Rubley, a ninth-round pick in the 1992 draft, will replace Jim Everett, the starter since 1986.

Everett has started 87 consecutive games, the longest streak of any current NFL quarterback. He was ineffective Sunday in a 16-13 loss to Detroit, completing only two of nine passes for 12 yards and an interception.

Knox pulled Everett in the third quarter in favor of Rubley, who completed 12 of 17 passes for 151 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns.

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Tackle Jackie Slater, who will sit out the 49er game because of a torn pectoral muscle, will miss an opportunity to break the record for most games by an offensive lineman. He is tied with Jeff Van Note and Mike Webster at 245 games.

“We’ve been counting the games for two years now,” Slater said. “I could think of nothing better to happen to me than to go to San Francisco, beat the 49ers, break the record and have a big party. That’s not going to be the case. I’ll just have to live with that.”

Slater said he suffered the injury while blocking on a draw play. Team doctors prescribed rest for this week and the following bye week, he said.

“I can’t stretch it out because I’ll stretch the tear and not let it heal,” he said. “I have to isolate it as much as I can.”