Chargers Re-Sign Brees for One Year, $8 Million

Quarterback Drew Brees signed a one-year contract Friday that more than quadruples his pay from last year, when he came off the scrap heap to lead the San Diego Chargers back to the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons.

The Chargers put the “franchise” tag on Brees on Feb. 17, meaning he’ll get $8,078,000 next year, or the average of the NFL’s five highest-paid quarterbacks in 2004.

Brees returned from a vacation in Australia late Thursday night.

“I was ready and eager to get the thing official,” said Brees, who made $1.56 million in base pay last year.

Also Friday, the Chargers re-signed free safety Jerry Wilson, an unrestricted free agent, and center David Brandt, a restricted free agent, to two-year deals.

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Kurt Warner said his requirements for what could be the final phase of his career are to find a team where he can compete for a starting job and help build a winner.

“I really feel like I can play five or six more years at this point,” Warner said during a visit with the Chicago Bears.

He met with the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday and will go to Detroit on Sunday to check out the Lions. He said a decision could come quickly, maybe by the weekend.

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Jeremiah Trotter, a Pro Bowl middle linebacker, signed a $15 million, five-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, remaining with the team he helped lead to the Super Bowl after returning to Philadelphia last season.

Trotter’s contract includes a $4 million signing bonus.

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The New York Jets signed running back Derrick Blaylock and defensive lineman Lance Legree.

Blaylock got a five-year deal worth $11.1 million, including a $3.2 million signing bonus, and will serve as Curtis Martin’s backup.

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Quarterback Kelly Holcomb agreed to a four-year deal with the Buffalo Bills to serve as J.P. Losman’s backup.

Holcomb took the Bills’ offer, which includes a $2 million bonus, after growing frustrated in his attempts to re-sign with Cleveland, his agent told Associated Press.

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Former Baltimore Raven cornerback Gary Baxter signed a six-year contract with the Browns.

College Football

UCLA senior quarterback David Koral will continue to work with the first team, but redshirt freshmen Ben Olson and Patrick Cowan are expected to get their share of plays in today’s spring scrimmage for the Bruins, which will start at 9 a.m.

“I want to see offensively, who can make some plays,” said Coach Karl Dorrell, who expects the scrimmage to last between 70-80 plays. “Our goal this spring was to see how well we compete. We’re anxious to see the quarterbacks perform and see what they can do.”

After today, UCLA has six spring practices remaining.

Tennis

Serena Williams retired from her semifinal match against Jelena Jankovic at the Dubai Women’s Open in United Arab Emirates because of a strained tendon in her right shoulder.

Jankovic was leading 6-0, 4-3, when Williams pulled out 59 minutes into the match.

That put Jankovic into the final against top-seeded Lindsay Davenport, who struggled through an upset stomach to beat eighth-seeded Patty Schnyder, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1.

Soccer

In its first exhibition against a fellow Major League Soccer team, Chivas USA lost to the San Jose Earthquakes, 3-0, at the Home Depot Center in Carson.

Wes Hart scored in the seventh minute, Roger Levesque in the 32nd and Julian Nash in the 64th for the Earthquakes.

Chivas USA played without its top goalkeeper, Martin Zuniga, who sprained a ligament in his right knee in Wednesday’s 7-0 exhibition loss to the U.S. national team. Zuniga is scheduled to be re-examined Monday.

Chivas USA defender Armando Begines fractured his collarbone in Wednesday’s exhibition. Begines, a potential starter, will be out at least six weeks, a team official said.

Boxing

Unbeaten featherweight Rocky Juarez knocked out Juan Carlos Ramirez in the first round of a scheduled 10-round fight at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula.