Chargers’ Whelihan to Get First Start

As expected, San Diego Charger Coach Kevin Gilbride named third-year pro Craig Whelihan as the starting quarterback for Sunday’s home game against the Seattle Seahawks.

It will be the first start and only the third appearance of Whelihan’s career. He didn’t take a regular-season snap his first two years in the league and has appeared in two games this year only because of injuries to Stan Humphries and Jim Everett.

Humphries suffered his second concussion in 18 days in Sunday’s 38-31 loss at Cincinnati. Once his headaches and other symptoms subside, he must sit out one month.

Whelihan said he had yet to officially hear from Gilbride that he was the starter, but figured he was because he’d taken all the snaps with the first unit this week.

“I’m ready to go,” Whelihan said. “Let’s win a ballgame.”

Gilbride told reporters minutes later that Whelihan will start. Gilbride said Everett is still bothered by a strained muscle in his throwing elbow, but hopes he will be healthy enough to be the second-string quarterback Sunday. Everett said that decision could go down to Sunday.

If Everett, bothered by a strained muscle in his right elbow, isn’t healthy enough to be the No. 2 quarterback, that job will go to Todd Philcox, who was signed this week. Philcox hasn’t taken a regular-season snap since 1993, but was Jacksonville’s No. 3 quarterback last year when Gilbride was the Jaguars’ offensive coordinator.

The Seahawks (5-4) have won three of four games. The Chargers (4-5) have lost two of three.

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Pittsburgh wide receiver Charles Johnson, who missed three games with a knee injury, will be back in the lineup for the Steelers’ Sunday night game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Johnson and rookie Will Blackwell were both injured in the same game, which sent the Steelers scrambling for temporary help. They signed Andre Coleman, who had been cut by the Chargers, and Curtis Marsh, who was dropped by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Coleman has been used exclusively as a kick returner, and Marsh has caught one pass in his two games.

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The Cleveland Browns don’t have a player, a coach or a stadium yet--only a promise by the NFL that they will exist--but 41,000 people have bought permanent seat licenses, entitling them to purchase seats when they go on sale in 1998 or ’99.

Buyers were asked to list their preferred seat assignment. The Browns will assign the seats in December.

Seat licenses sold for $250 to $1,500. The unsold licenses were priced at $500 each, but the Browns expect to raise the price.