CHARGER UPDATE : NOTEBOOK : Receivers Thigpen, Jefferson Get Work With Miller, Taylor Hurt
SAN DIEGO — The Chargers’ wide receiver corps dwindled when Kitrick Taylor bruised his knee in a collision with safety Stanley Richard in practice Wednesday.
The team also learned that Anthony Miller’s quadriceps injury might sideline him for the last three games of the season. A magnetic resonance imaging test showed that Miller’s muscle has slightly pulled away from the bone.
“It needs rest in order to be able to reattach itself and then it needs rehab,” Charger Coach Dan Henning said.
Henning said rookie receiver Yancey Thigpen, who has been on the practice squad most of the season, might be activated for Sunday’s game in Kansas City. Thigpen and Shawn Jefferson got most of the work at receiver after Taylor went down.
If Taylor can’t play Sunday, Henning said wide receiver David Jones could be activated from the physically unable to perform list. Jones is a rookie from Delaware State. Taylor said his knee was fine and that he would practice today.
“We’re having some difficulty determining the game plan because of who’s there and what they’re capable of doing,” Henning said.
Henning said he was impressed with Richard’s practice performance at free safety and that Richard probably will regain his starting job from Darren Carrington. Richard missed the Nov. 24 game against the New Jets with a pinched nerve and played part of last week’s game against the Raiders.
Cornerback Gill Byrd, who missed his first game since 1986 last week with an ankle injury, practiced. He expects to play Sunday.
Quarterback John Friesz said his sprained right ankle is close to 100% He practiced with the brace he has been wearing, but hopes to play without it Sunday.
Charger linebacker David Grayson, who played at Lincoln High, was placed on injured reserve Sept. 18 with a broken leg. Doctors told him he would be out four to six weeks, but Grayson said he is still not able to run.
“It hurt real bad when I tried to run Wednesday,” he said. “My bones are just really slow to heal I guess. It’s real frustrating.”
Former Charger Coach Sid Gillman, who has become known as a quarterback guru, rated Friesz eighth out of 17 young NFL quarterbacks. But Chief Coach Marty Schottenheimer and Kansas City safety Deron Cherry appear to have him rated higher.
“John Friesz has become a much better quarterback since we last saw him,” Schottenheimer said. “His decision-making is much better and more importantly he is making them quickly and he’s making the right judgments.”
Said Cherry: “I think he’s going to be a great quarterback in this league.”
Schottenheimer became another in the growing list of coaches to say the Chargers are better than their record indicates.
“I overheard Steve DeBerg say today, ‘Boy this is an awfully good team to be where they are record-wise,’ ” Schottenheimer said. “The one thing that is very evident to me about San Diego is those guys are playing hard.”
Henning denied a radio report that had him going to Tampa Bay as Bill Parcells’ offensive coordinator.
“I already have a job,” Henning said.
The report also said Charger defensive coordinator Ron Lynn would go with Henning to Tampa Bay as the Buccaneers’ defensive coordinator.
