PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE NFL : Redskins’ Turner to Stick With Shuler

Washington Coach Norv Turner will stick with Heath Shuler at quarterback after the rookie completed only 11 of 30 passes for 96 yards and one touchdown, with one interception and one fumble in a 34-7 loss to Dallas.

“You just look at the numbers and the production. He had a very, very difficult day,” Turner said. “A lot of those things were out of his control. Some of those things he could have done better. Some of it you get so speeded up, you’re a young guy you’re getting hit, you’re getting pressure. . . . everything snowballed on him.”

In their previous three games with John Friesz at quarterback, the Redskins moved the ball well enough in the air to beat New Orleans and stay in the game until the final minutes against New York and Atlanta.

The Redskins have had discussions about trading former Pro Bowl guard Mark Schlereth to the San Francisco 49ers.

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Cincinnati defensive lineman Mike Frier returned to the Bengals after an unexcused five-day absence and was suspended without pay for three weeks.

Frier also was docked pay for the days he missed.

Frier skipped practice last Thursday without explanation and the team didn’t hear from him until Monday evening. He met with coach Dave Shula at the team’s practice facility.

He was the only Bengal veteran to hold out of training camp as part of a salary dispute. He also was unhappy about his playing time--he was inactive for the three games before he left the team.

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Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Neil Smith, the NFL’s sack leader last year, is being fitted with a special thumb brace that he likely will wear for the rest of the season. He injured his right thumb during Kansas City’s Sept. 25 loss to the Rams. The surgical procedure to implant a pin in the thumb is scheduled for today. Smith should return to practice Wednesday and start Sunday against the San Diego Chargers, the lone undefeated team in the NFL. . . . Cleveland Browns running back Tommy Vardell is scheduled to undergo left knee surgery today and will be sidelined indefinitely. Vardell injured the knee after being hit by New York Jets safety Brian Washington while attempting to catch a pass in the first quarter of Sunday’s 27-7 victory. . . . Saint linebacker Sam Mills had surgery to set his broken nose. He broke it last week against the San Francisco 49ers, but didn’t realize it until two days later. Mills should be ready to play Sunday against the Chicago Bears. Bills rookie tight end Lonnie Johnson missed the team flight and never got to Chicago for Buffalo’s game against the Bears, Coach Marv Levy said. Levy said he did not know what disciplinary action he will take.