PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : NFC : Green Bay Signs Jim McMahon

The Green Bay Packers, looking for a backup to quarterback Brett Favre, claimed Jim McMahon on waivers from Cleveland on Tuesday.

McMahon, 36, is in his 14th season in the NFL and will be joining his seventh team. McMahon played for the Chicago Bears from 1982-88, leading them to the Super Bowl after the 1985 season. He went to San Diego in 1989 and also played for Philadelphia, Minnesota and Arizona before joining Cleveland this season.

He has a 67-30 record in games he has started, the best among active NFL quarterbacks.

The Packers released running back LeShon Johnson, who has not played much after starting this season on the injured reserve list following knee surgery at the end of last season.

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Chicago Mayor Richard Daley will not support a domed stadium on the lakefront to keep the Bears in town even if the team rejects his proposed renovation plan for Soldier Field. Daley’s statement appears to doom the idea because Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar said last week that he would not revive his once-favored plan unless Daley helped lobby for legislative approval for the $340-million project. . . . The Carolina Panthers signed defensive lineman Jeff Fields, a 1991 draft pick of the Raiders, from the Washington Redskins’ practice squad and moved Mark Thomas to injured reserve. . . . Injured New York Giant wide receivers Mike Sherrard and Chris Calloway are expected to play Thursday night against the Arizona Cardinals.