Elway Will Be Back, Agent Says

John Elway, who just quarterbacked the Denver Broncos to their first Super Bowl victory, plans to return this season, according to his agent, Marvin Demoff.

“My expectation always was that John would tell [owner] Pat Bowlen and [Coach] Mike Shanahan a year in advance that I’m taking it one year at a time,” Demoff told the Denver Post. “Well, John’s giving them a year’s notice on his locker starting now. He might end up renewing that lease after next season.

“It fulfills his obligation to Pat to help him get a new stadium. It fulfills his obligation to Mike to get someone in place. And it allows John to tour the NFL at least one more season as the king of the hill, which is exactly what he is.”

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Roger Headrick kept his job as president of the Minnesota Vikings as tempers cooled amid the turmoil over the team’s sale and a vote to oust him was postponed.

NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue urged all 10 of the owners, Headrick included, to end their bitter public feud over author Tom Clancy’s attempt to buy the team. Tagliabue is expected to rule next week on Headrick’s claim that he has a right to match Clancy’s $200 million-plus offer. The other nine owners decided to hold off ousting Headrick to avoid a rash response.

In a separate matter, the Vikings hired former Cal Poly San Luis Obispo coach Andre Patterson as defensive line coach. Patterson was with New England last season.

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Free-agent wide receiver Johnnie Morton has agreed to a five-year contract with the Detroit Lions worth an average $3 million a year, the Detroit News reported. The former USC star is expected to sign Monday. Last season, Morton caught 80 passes--second on the team to Herman Moore’s 104.

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Marshall’s Randy Moss, expected to be the first wide receiver chosen in the NFL draft April 18-19, is not attending the NFL’s scouting combine in Indianapolis because he had six teeth extracted Thursday. The three-day scouting combine started Thursday. Moss will hold private workouts for scouts.