Vikings’ Smith Out for Season

Minnesota Viking running back Robert Smith, who suffered a knee injury Monday night against the Chicago Bears, is out for the season again, and quarterback Warren Moon’s injured right ankle will keep him out of the Vikings’ game against Kansas City Sunday. Moon will be replaced by Brad Johnson.

*

Chicago linebacker Bryan Cox will have surgery on his broken thumb this week but hopes to miss only game. However, trainer Fred Caito said the prognosis wouldn’t be available until after tests are completed and Cox gets a second opinion today.

Cox suffered the injury, a broken bone at the base of his thumb, early in the fourth quarter of Monday night’s 15-13 victory over the Vikings. Nevertheless, Cox remained in the game and had a crucial sack to force a fumble and then recovering at the Bears’ 35 with 1:47 to go.

*

The Atlanta Falcons and quarterback Jeff George reached a settlement of their differences in which George will lose less than a fourth of the amount he could have lost if a four-game suspension was upheld in arbitration.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the two sides agreed George would be docked three-quarters of one game check--or about $160,000--for his Sept. 22 sideline tirade at Coach June Jones. The team wanted to penalize him by withholding $855,529 from the $3.6 million one-year salary of the quarterback, who has since been released by the team.

*

New York Giant rookie wide receiver Amani Toomer will miss the rest of the season after surgery to repair a torn knee ligament. Toomer injured his knee last Thursday during practice.

*

Two Washington Redskin players, center Cory Raymer and guard Brian Thure, and a team intern were injured when the car they were riding in overturned while avoiding another card in Colonial Beach, Va. Raymer and Thure were taken to a hospital and treated and released.