Elway ‘Looks Good’ for Sunday

Denver quarterback John Elway tested his injured leg Friday, and Bronco Coach Mike Shanahan thinks he’ll be able to play Sunday against the Washington Redskins.

Elway went half speed on his strained right hamstring. He remains questionable on the injury report, but Shanahan said, “John looked good. He practiced the whole practice and he didn’t have any repercussions and it looks like he’ll be in good shape. We didn’t put a lot of pressure on him. He’s not going to sprint. But all the signs right now are very good.”

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A day after snubbing reporters, embattled San Diego Charger quarterback Ryan Leaf is talking again--sort of.

The rookie said his new policy for dealing with reporters will be to answer questions only with a “yes” or a “no.”

That means no more lengthy interviews or phone calls to his house.

Leaf is apparently upset about criticism he received after shouting obscenities at a San Diego Union-Tribune reporter Monday.

The tirade came one day after the Chargers lost, 23-7, in the rain at Kansas City and Leaf completed one of 15 passes for four yards, fumbled three times and had two passes intercepted. He broke the club record for passing futility, and afterward directed obscenities toward a cameraman shooting postgame interviews.

Leaf, who was a broadcasting major at Washington State, refused to speak with reporters Thursday. On Friday, he spared 82 seconds after practice. That probably wasn’t what NFL officials had in mind when they wrote into the standard player contract that “the player will cooperate with the news media.”

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Washington offensive lineman Rod Milstead, off the active roster the first two weeks of the season, will start against the Broncos in place of right guard Joe Patton, who is out two to four weeks because of a sprained right knee ligaments.

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Pittsburgh free safety Darren Perry, who has never been out of the starting lineup since joining the Steelers in 1992, has a groin injury and may not play against Seattle on Sunday. . . . The Philadelphia Eagles put defensive tackle Rhett Hall on injured reserve because of a stress fracture in his left kneecap. He’ll be out for the season. . . . All-pro cornerback Eric Davis has signed a contract extension with the Carolina Panthers through the 2001 season.

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The state of Washington and representatives of Seattle Seahawk owner Paul Allen have signed off on lease and development agreements for construction of a new stadium.

The agreements allow construction of the project’s exhibition hall and parking garage to start next week. That work is expected to wrap up late next fall, with demolition of the Kingdome expected in March 2000, clearing the way for construction of the 67,000-seat stadium itself.

The $430-million project, next door to the Mariners’ new stadium, is scheduled for completion July 31, 2002. The Seahawks might spend two years playing at the University of Washington’s Husky Stadium, though plans for play during construction are still being worked out.