Vikings Pick Up Option on Tice

Mike Tice will return to coach the Minnesota Vikings for at least one more year.

Despite a second consecutive late-season slide, the Vikings on Monday picked up Tice’s $1-million option for 2005, ending speculation about the coach’s future.

“I’m pleased,” Tice said. “I want to remain the football coach of this football team, because we’ve come a long way in three years.”

Tice, 45, would have become a free agent Jan. 31 had the club failed to exercise the option by Saturday -- one day before Minnesota’s regular-season finale at Washington.

Instead, Tice will have a chance to improve his 23-25 record and reverse the Vikings’ reputation for fading down the stretch.

The Vikings started 6-0 in 2003, Tice’s second full season, but finished 9-7 and did not qualify for the playoffs. They are headed in a similar direction this year, having lost six of their last nine games, but at 8-7 still have a good chance at a wild-card berth.

“Although our expectation of winning the division was not met, we feel that the program Mike Tice has guided gives us the talent base to have success today and in the future,” owner Red McCombs said in a statement. “Our expectations are high for the upcoming playoffs and for next year.”

Widely known as a players’ coach, Tice has absorbed much of the blame for the Vikings’ problems.

Despite a 33% raise from his reported $750,000 salary this season, Tice will remain one of the NFL’s lowest-paid head coaches.

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Washington will be without running back Clinton Portis, linebacker LaVar Arrington and cornerback Ade Jimoh for the regular-season finale against Minnesota, and cornerback Fred Smoot probably will not play either.

Portis tore a chest muscle in the Redskins’ 13-10 loss to Dallas on Sunday. He finished the season with 1,315 yards rushing and will not have a chance to become the first NFL back to rush for 1,500 yards in each of his first three seasons.

Arrington was limited to a few plays against the Cowboys, his second game back after knee surgery, after developing tendinitis in the knee during his 11 games away.

Jimoh severely sprained his right ankle against the Cowboys, and Smoot suffered a mild kidney bruise and spent Sunday night in a hospital before returning to Washington.

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Defensive end John Abraham probably will sit out the New York Jets’ regular-season finale against St. Louis because of a sprained right knee.... Defensive tackle Trevor Pryce said he would play in Denver’s regular-season finale against Indianapolis after sitting out every game since the season opener because of back surgery.... Cincinnati running back Chris Perry will have surgery for a hernia that kept him off the field for much of his rookie season.