PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : AFC : Nashville Plans Contingencies for Oilers

Rather than fret over a postponed contract signing, Mayor Phil Bredesen talked Monday of what Nashville will do if the Houston Oilers break their Astrodome lease and head for Tennessee.

Bredesen’s aides are working on contingencies if the Oilers arrive before the 1998 date included in the original agreement.

An expanded version of that relocation deal was to be signed by Bredesen and Oiler owner Bud Adams on Monday, but Adams asked for more time to study it.

Bredesen said the request didn’t threaten the deal and that Adams wanted to talk with other NFL owners who operate stadiums. The proposed deal would have the Oilers manage the stadium Nashville builds for them.

That stadium would be ready for the 1998 season. If the Oilers were to leave Houston before then, a temporary home would have to be found.

That possibility has been mentioned since negotiations began in August.

Some of the options:

--Memphis has the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, with 62,300 seats, luxury boxes and a contract with a CFL team that has exclusive professional rights to the stadium.

--Knoxville has the 91,900-seat Neyland Stadium with luxury boxes and a ban on beer sales that would be all but impossible to reverse.

--Nashville, until a new stadium is built, has Vanderbilt’s 41,000-seat stadium, small by NFL standards. Vanderbilt is private, and its beer ban could be reconsidered.

*

Denver quarterback John Elway’s MRI test on his head came back negative Monday, but another test showed severe swelling in his throwing shoulder. Elway is questionable for Sunday’s game against San Diego.

Elway was tackled hard by William Fuller and Mike Mamula during the second quarter of the Philadelphia Eagles’ 31-13 victory over the Broncos on Sunday.

*

Oakland Raider quarterback Jeff Hostetler had an MRI test on his left shoulder after being hurt during Sunday’s 17-13 victory over the New York Giants. Coach Mike White said he had no more details on the injury to Hostetler’s non-throwing shoulder.

Safety Eddie Anderson, who has sat out the last two games because of a hamstring injury, will resume practicing Wednesday and hopes to play Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. Defensive end Nolan Harrison, out all season because of a back injury, should return to practice next week.

White also said offensive tackle Gerald Perry, out since the season’s opening game because of a broken arm, will go for more tests today but is expected to sit out Sunday’s game.

*

Miami Dolphin starting offensive guard Chris Gray sprained his left ankle in Sunday’s 34-17 loss to New England and is expected to be sidelined for several weeks. Reserve tackle Ethan Albright, the snapper on kicks, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and will probably sit out the rest of the season.

*

The Seattle Seahawks, 47-30 winners in Jacksonville on Sunday, are spending this week in sunny Florida and out of the rainy Northwest. They face the Washington Redskins next Sunday at RFK Stadium.

Coach Dennis Erickson decided he’d rather keep his team in Jacksonville for a week and not have to make another long trip from the West Coast to face the Redskins.

The Seahawks probably will be without starting tight end Christian Fauria against the Redskins. Fauria sprained his left knee against the expansion Jaguars and underwent an MRI scan.

Starting fullback Steve Smith is expected to be out for another week because of back spasms, but the Seahawks hope to have kickoff returner Steve Broussard (hamstring) available.