PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE NFL : Garrett to Replace Aikman Thursday

Jason Garrett will start at quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday while Troy Aikman and Rodney Peete recover from injuries doctors have decided weren’t as serious as first feared.

The Cowboys brought in veteran quarterbacks Mike Pagel and Tommy Hodson on Monday, and will decide today which of the two to sign.

Aikman, who suffered a left knee ligament sprain in Sunday’s 31-7 victory over Washington, was limping on his 28th birthday.

“It could be two weeks or it could be five weeks from now,” Aikman said. “I’d be shocked if I felt good enough to play on Thursday. I don’t see that as a possibility, but I’m not going to rule it out.”

Said Coach Barry Switzer, “I believe in fairy tales. I believe in Disneyland and Tinker Bell and Captain Hook. I like situations like this. We could have us a new hero.”

Peete’s ligament damage in his right thumb wasn’t as severe as first feared. He might be back Dec. 4.

*

Green Bay’s Reggie White, the league’s career sack leader, will be sidelined for an NFL game for the first time on Thursday.

The defensive end had a magnetic resonance imaging test to determine whether he sustained ligament damage to his left elbow when he was injured during Sunday’s 29-20 loss at Buffalo.

The Packers said they wouldn’t release results of the examination until today.

But the Milwaukee Sentinel reported that White’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, said White told him he’d be out two to four weeks. Sexton said White indicated there were torn ligaments but he won’t need surgery.

Also, Packer safety Tim Hauck will be sidelined three to four weeks because of a knee injury.

*

After contemplating retirement, Cincinnati Bengal running back Steve Broussard plans to return to practice as soon as doctors confirm that there are no lingering problems from a collision that left him paralyzed briefly. . . . Pittsburgh Steelers guard Todd Kalis will be sidelined the rest of the season because of a broken right ankle and defensive end Gerald Williams will be sidelined at least a month because of a torn tendon in his right arm. Coach Bill Cowher will decide later this week whether Mike Tomczak or Neil O’Donnell will start at quarterback Sunday against the Raiders. . . . Tampa Bay leading receiver Jackie Harris, who has 26 receptions for 337 yards and three touchdowns, will have surgery on his left shoulder and be sidelined the remainder of the season. . . . Miami linebacker Chris Singleton was diagnosed with a fractured leg and could miss the rest of the season.