Rams Put Rubley on Injured List; Lewis Released : Football: Quarterback is ineligible to play the entire season. Receiver, one of seven cut loose, signs with Bears.

ANAHEIM — With the pain continuing to swell in his right elbow, Ram quarterback T.J. Rubley’s 1994 season ended before it began.

The Rams placed Rubley on the injured list Tuesday and cut seven others, including wide receiver Nate Lewis, who signed a one-year, $375,000 deal with the Chicago Bears hours later. The Rams, who trimmed the roster to 60 players, must cut seven more by Sunday.

Rubley has missed most of training camp because of tendinitis in the elbow of his throwing arm. He said arthroscopic surgery is “inevitable” but hopes to wait at least another week before undergoing surgery.

“If there’s no nerve damage, then it could be six to eight weeks (out),” said Rubley, who started seven games last season but was fighting for the third-string position this year.

By putting him on injured reserve, the Rams lose Rubley, a third-year player, for the entire season. But his salary, approximately $200,000, will still count under the league’s new salary cap.

“I figured this was the way they were going to go,” Rubley said. “It was either this or get released. I’m not the football player I was six or eight months ago, when I was healthy.”

Rubley, 6 feet 3 and 205 pounds, was expected to challenge Chris Chandler for the backup job behind Chris Miller but struggled to throw the ball since his elbow began hurting in March.

“He wasn’t throwing the ball well and that was unusual for him,” Ram Coach Chuck Knox said. “Usually he has good zip on the ball. I thought at the time, because T.J. is so into football, that maybe he was working too hard.

“He kept coming out here and throwing at targets, all the while he had problems in there (the elbow) and it was not unlike a baseball pitcher developing that problem.”

By cutting Lewis, the Rams save most of his $600,000 salary, but it cost them the fourth-round pick they had traded to the San Diego Chargers to get him in the off-season.

The Rams thought Lewis, a fifth-year pro who started nine games for the Chargers last season, could help them as a return man and add depth at wide receiver. But Lewis didn’t impress Ram coaches in training camp and three exhibition games, catching only one pass for six yards and failing to show the speed necessary to return punts.

“We have some younger players and we wanted to go with them,” Knox said. “I talked to him, and I think he was a little shocked about it. But in this day and age, anything can happen. There are economics involved.”

The Bears, in dire need of wide receivers for new quarterback Erik Kramer, came to terms with Lewis only three hours after he left Rams Park. The Bears also claimed receiver Greg McMurtry, cut by the Rams on Monday, off waivers.

“They (Rams) brought me here and I guess they didn’t like what I did,” Lewis said. “I knew my playing time had (decreased). I had an idea what was going on the past two weeks. I don’t know if it’s a money thing, or a position thing or what.”

By releasing Lewis, the Rams are banking on rookie wide receiver Chris Brantley, tailback Johnny Bailey and wide receiver Todd Kinchen to carry the bulk of the kick and punt returns.

With Lewis gone, Jessie Hester is set as the starting wide receiver opposite Flipper Anderson. Hester, who caught 64 passes for 835 yards with Indianapolis last season, has seven receptions for 112 yards in three exhibition games, including three for 59 yards last Saturday night against the Raiders.

Besides Lewis, the Rams also cut cornerback Terry Taylor, safety Cliff Hicks, linebacker Andy Mason, defensive end Kevin Patrick, center Brad Fichtel and defensive tackle Maa Tanuvasa. The Rams cut nine players on Monday, including wide receiver Sean LaChapelle.