Elway Does His Best to Get Zimmerman; Ditka Has New Deal

Thanks to John Elway’s recruiting trip to a motorcycle rally in the Black Hills of South Dakota, the Denver Broncos appear close to luring offensive tackle Gary Zimmerman out of retirement.

That, at least, was “the buzz of camp,” in the words of offensive guard David Diaz-Infante.

No one seemed to be in a position to say for sure.

Coach Mike Shanahan danced around the topic Wednesday, calling reports that Zimmerman will end his retirement “a little premature” and insisting he had not talked with Elway since the quarterback’s return from his two-day trip.

Elway was excused from training camp Monday and Tuesday so he could travel to a motorcycle rally in Sturgis, S.D., where Zimmerman was holed up, and plead for the seven-time Pro Bowl left tackle to return.

Zimmerman, 36, also retired last year, but returned two games into the regular season and helped the Broncos win a Super Bowl.

Elway would not speak with the media Wednesday, and the reclusive, reticent Zimmerman was in the wilderness somewhere in the Sturgis area.

Shanahan did speak, but didn’t shed much light on the matter.

“I’m hoping he comes back,” Shanahan said.

Asked whether Zimmerman was receptive to Elway’s pitch, Shanahan said, “I have no idea. I haven’t talked to John since he’s been back. If Gary’s interested, he will call me. Gary told me he was going to retire, and I’m taking his word for it. If he wants to come back, he will initiate the phone call. I haven’t talked to either Gary or his agent. His agent has called, but he hasn’t called me.

“Before anything could be done, we’d have to work out a contract. He does not have a contract, so there’s a lot of things that have to be resolved.”

Zimmerman, who signed a four-year, $12.31-million contract last September that included a $2.8-million signing bonus, was scheduled to be paid only $216,000 in base salary this season. The Broncos likely would give him a substantial raise by reworking his contract, and the team reportedly has about $3 million remaining under the salary cap even after running back Terrell Davis’ nine-year, $56-million contract gains final approval.

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The New Orleans Saints signed Coach Mike Ditka to a five-year contract.

The new contract, which runs through the 2002 season, replaces the final two years of his original three-year deal. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.

“It makes me extremely happy because it’s what I want to do, it’s where I want to be and it’s the only organization I want to work for,” said Ditka, who was 6-10 in his first season with the Saints.

“I wish I could tell you my feelings about things in the past, but I can’t. I choke up when I do it. But it’s interesting, nothing looks good to me except black and gold. The other colors don’t even look like I ever belonged to them.”

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What has been a foregone conclusion for weeks became official--Ryan Leaf is the San Diego Chargers’ starting quarterback.

The decision by Coach Kevin Gilbride goes way beyond Saturday night’s exhibition opener against the San Francisco 49ers. Leaf, the second pick in the April draft, has the job for the year, making him the first rookie in team history to go into a season holding the top spot.

“He’s the guy we think gives us the best chance to win,” said Gilbride, who presided over a disastrous 4-12 season in 1997.

“I didn’t leave college early so I could sit on the bench for a year,” Leaf said after his first practice as the starter. “This is what I wanted to do.”

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Peyton Manning expects to play a half Saturday in the Indianapolis Colts’ exhibition opener at Seattle.

“What I hear the plan is right now is to play the first half,” said Manning, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. “I don’t know whether that will alter during the next three games after that. Whatever time I’m in there, I’m going to try to make the best out of it.”

Officially, Colt Coach Jim Mora will announce the quarterback rotation today.

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Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton has talked to Ontario officials twice in the last two months about building a stadium for a possible NFL expansion team.

Payton, the NFL’s career rushing leader who played 12 seasons for the Chicago Bears, owns Walter Payton Inc. and is co-owner of a professional auto racing team.

Payton was the front man for a group of investors who failed to bring an expansion team to St. Louis in 1993.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said he was unaware of Payton’s interest in Ontario.

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Darrell Green, the Washington Redskins’ 38-year-old Pro Bowl cornerback, injured his left knee during warmups before a joint practice with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Green is listed as day to day with what trainer Bubba Tyer termed tendinitis of the left kneecap. . . . New York Giant linebacker Corey Miller, 29, decided not to have surgery to repair a herniated disk in his neck and will be out for the season. . . . The Green Bay Packers signed offensive lineman Mike Wahle, leaving running back Dorsey Levens as their only unsigned player. . . . The St. Louis Rams signed free-agent running back Greg Hill, who had been with the Kansas City Chiefs.