Bengals, Kitna Agree to Terms

When the Cincinnati Bengals started looking for a free-agent quarterback, Jon Kitna was one of the first to get a call. He wound up getting the job.

Kitna, who lost his starting job last season in Seattle, agreed Thursday to a four-year contract worth between $7 million and $12 million. He’ll compete with Akili Smith in training camp, getting paid more if he wins the starting job. His signing bonus was $4 million.

“When they called my agent at 5:01 in the morning on the first day of free agency, that put the message right there that they were serious about it,” Kitna said.

Kitna, 28, wasn’t the Bengals’ first choice. They tried to sign Elvis Grbac, but Grbac turned down the Bengals’ larger offer to sign with Baltimore, and Kitna wound up at the top of their list.

Coach Dick LeBeau said the Bengals won’t pursue another quarterback in free agency, though he didn’t rule out the possibility of Scott Mitchell returning to join the competition if no one else signs him.

“I like our quarterback situation where it is,” LeBeau said. “You never say never, but with Akili and Scott Covington and now Jon Kitna as a Cincinnati Bengal, I think we have a very good quarterback situation.”

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Cortez Kennedy won’t finish his career with the Seattle Seahawks.

The Seahawks released their eight-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle two days before he was to receive a $2-million roster bonus.

The Seahawks signed free agent John Randle last week after his release from the Minnesota Vikings. Randle will take Kennedy’s place on Seattle’s defensive line.

Kennedy, 32, asked Coach-General Manager Mike Holmgren for his release after the Seahawks’ 6-10 season, saying he wanted to play for a contender. He had a no-trade clause in his contract, which stopped Holmgren from dealing him.

Kennedy’s salary was to count $7.3 million against the salary cap next season. He was supposed to earn $4.5 million in the final year of his contract in Seattle.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers released Levon Kirkland, one of the NFL’s highest-paid linebackers and their defensive captain, to save his 2001 salary of $4.77 million.

The move came hours after the Steelers signed former Lion offensive lineman Jeff Hartings to a $24.75-million, six-year contract to replace seven-time All-Pro center Dermontti Dawson.

By releasing Kirkland and Dawson, the Steelers have cut both their offensive and defensive captains in less than a week.

Kirkland, once the Steelers’ highest-paid player, was to have made a base salary of $4,775,000 million in 2001 and had a cap value of $5.745 million--or about one-twelfth of the Steelers’ total cap.

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Veteran offensive tackle Earl Dotson re-signed with the Green Bay Packers.

Dotson, 30, an eight-year veteran, was released Feb. 27. He fell under a special category in which he couldn’t take a drastic pay cut to help the team get under the $67.4-million salary cap. He earned $2.5 million last year and the lowest he could go was $1.75 million this season, still too high for the Packers.

Financial terms of the new contract were not announced.

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Troy Aikman’s agent, Leigh Steinberg, said he had a brief preliminary discussion Thursday with the San Diego Chargers, the day after Aikman was released by the Dallas Cowboys. The Chargers also are interested in quarterback Doug Flutie.

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Patrick Surtain, who emerged as one of the NFL’s best cornerbacks last year in his first full season as a starter, signed a four-year, $27.5-million extension with the Miami Dolphins. Surtain was already under contract through 2001. The new deal, which includes a $6.25 million signing bonus, ends in 2005. . . . Halfback Tiki Barber agreed to a six-year, $24-million contract to remain with the New York Giants. . . . Jason Bostic was re-signed by the Philadelphia Eagles to a one-year contract. Bostic, a defensive back, led the Eagles in special teams tackles with 29 last season.