PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE NFL : Cowboy Lineman Hurt in Car Accident

Dallas Cowboy Pro Bowl offensive lineman Erik Williams was injured in a car accident and probably will be sidelined until next year.

“He’ll have the opportunity to play again but I doubt it’ll be this year,” Dallas Coach Barry Switzer said after visiting Williams in the hospital on Monday. “In my opinion he’s going to need reconstruction of the right knee. Thank God he’s alive.”

Williams suffered a sprained right knee in the early morning accident, as well as a broken rib, torn ligaments in his left thumb and facial cuts that required plastic surgery.

The Department of Public Safety said alcohol wasn’t a factor in the crash, but speed and fatigue were. The department said Williams was driving more than 75 m.p.h. in a 35 m.p.h. zone, and he might be cited for speeding.

Rookie Larry Allen will replace Williams at right tackle.

Williams, 6 foot 6 and 325 pounds, was spared further injury because of the air bag in his Mercedes. Williams’ car hit a guardrail as he was heading onto the tollway from Interstate 635, officials said. He was heading home from a dance club, where several players had gone after returning to Dallas.

In a separate incident, first-round draft pick Shante Carver’s truck was found overturned on northbound Central Expressway at the exit ramp for westbound I-635. Police said the truck hit a guardrail and flipped onto its hood, but the driver fled. Authorities don’t know whether the defensive end was involved in the wreck. Someone identifying himself as Carver called police from a bar at 4 a.m. reporting his automobile had been stolen, police said.

In other developments, Troy Aikman, who suffered a concussion in the first quarter of a 28-21 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, said he will play on Sunday against Cincinnati. Aikman underwent an MRI that was negative. . . . Tight end Jay Novacek probably will sit out the Bengal game because of a possibly torn abdominal muscle. . . . Cowboy owner Jerry Jones is pushing a plan to expand Texas Stadium to 104,000 seats by 1999, adding a retractable roof and replacing the artificial turf with grass. The project would cost $130 million to $140 million, Jones said. Officials said Jones also wants to build an NFL theme park.

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Bengal Coach Dave Shula said third-stringer Jeff Blake probably will start at quarterback against the Cowboys. Starter David Klingler has a sprained ligament in his right knee and his status was listed as doubtful. Backup Don Hollas has a separated shoulder and will be sidelined at least two weeks. Four free agent quarterbacks, including former Bengals Todd Philcox and Erik Wilhelm, will have tryouts today. Blake, a third-year player out of East Carolina, has never started an NFL game.

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Washington Coach Norv Turner said rookie Gus Frerotte will start at quarterback for the second week in a row Sunday against the Eagles, instead of rookie Heath Shuler. . . . Dave Brown will keep his job as the Giant starting quarterback because his play isn’t the only reason the team is riding a four-game losing streak, Coach Dan Reeves said. . . . Brown quarterback Vinny Testaverde, a day after a concussion forced him to sit out most of the second half of a 37-13 victory over Cincinnati, said he will play Sunday at Denver. . . . Craig Erickson will start at quarterback for the Buccaneers Sunday against the Vikings, Coach Sam Wyche said. Erickson started the first six games of the season for the 2-5 Buccaneers, but Wyche started rookie Trent Dilfer in a 41-16 loss at San Francisco on Sunday. . . . 49er wide receiver John Taylor is scheduled to have exploratory arthroscopic surgery today on his right knee. Coach George Seifert said the soreness might be related to arthritis, and that Taylor could be back within 10 days. With the 49ers on a bye week, that means Taylor could play in the team’s next game Nov. 6 at Washington or, more probably, Nov. 13 against Dallas. . . . Falcon wide receiver Andre Rison told The Atlanta Constitution he missed the team bus to the Raider game Sunday because Coach June Jones changed its departure time. Jones made him sit out the first quarter and said Rison would be fined. . . . Bear running back Tim Worley, who missed Saturday’s team flight and didn’t play in Sunday’s 21-16 loss to the Lions, met with Bear Coach Dave Wannstedt. Worley is a two-time offender of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. “This is a little bit more than just missing an airplane. (When) it gets resolved, hopefully in the next day or two, then I’ll comment further.” Wannstedt said. The Bears said a broken leg will sideline tight end Chris Gedney for the season and that Erik Kramer will start next Monday night’s game against Green Bay at quarterback if his sprained ankle heals. If he isn’t 100%, Wannstedt said, Steve Walsh will start.