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Turning Leaf

Chargers will keep Leaf on active roster as third-string QB

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Posted: Saturday September 04, 1999 07:45 PM

Chargers' coach Mike Riley said that Leaf could be in playing shape by late October. AP

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The San Diego Chargers have some hope for Ryan Leaf this year, after all.

Although he won't be able to start throwing passes again for three weeks, Leaf will open his second NFL season as the San Diego Chargers' third-string quarterback. The team made it official Saturday by cutting Craig Whelihan, whose fourth interception of the exhibition season led to San Diego's 34-27 loss to Kansas City on Friday night.

Whelihan's shaky preseason was just part of the dynamic in keeping Leaf on the active roster behind Jim Harbaugh and Erik Kramer. The biggest factor, coach Mike Riley said, were the medical reports showing that Leaf was progressing so well with his rehabilitation following surgery on his right shoulder on July 26.

At the time, the Chargers said Leaf could be out 3-to-4 months, and wondered if they'd be able to hold a roster spot open for him.

But Riley said Saturday that Leaf could be in playing shape by late October, although that doesn't guarantee that he'd be anything more than the third-stringer.

"That's a good bit of our season left and we would think that he should be in our top three quarterbacks and not just completely shelved for the year," Riley said.

"I'm grateful in more ways than you can say," said Leaf, who was benched midway through his turbulent rookie season.

It's somewhat of a gamble to start the season with just two healthy quarterbacks -- and Harbaugh and Kramer have histories of injuries -- but the Chargers couldn't spare a spot for Whelihan while waiting for Leaf to fully recover.

As it is, they're thin at receiver and are holding a spot for Charlie Jones, who's expected to miss the first four games with a dislocated hip.

Had Leaf been placed on injured reserve, he would have been lost for the season. Some in the organization worried that going on IR might alienate Leaf even more than last year, when he lost his teammates' confidence due to his many meltdowns on and off the field.

"It feels like I got drafted again," Leaf said. "Now we get the perfect situation where I come into and you've got the two veteran quarterbacks there."

If that situation had existed when Leaf was taken with the second pick overall of the 1998 draft, and given the richest contract in club history, he might not have been rushed into action. He finished with 15 interceptions and just two touchdowns.

"Everybody wishes they would have a situation like this," Leaf said. "And I screwed up a lot of situations. But I want to get past it.

"Hopefully they've seen how hard I've been working in rehab to get to this point. But I also think they're just standing behind me and saying, `He's going to develop into the quarterback we drafted him as.' That's a very big confidence boost to me."

Riley said Leaf should be able to start throwing the ball in three weeks and begin practicing in 4-to-7 weeks.

Riley said the Chargers appreciated Leaf's hard work in rehab. But he also mentioned Leaf's frustrations this summer, which included Leaf telling Riley he wanted to be traded if he was put on injured reserve.

Can Leaf make it this time?

"It depends on his attitude and personality," Pro Bowl safety Rodney Harrison said. "If he stays positive and within the framework of the team structure and doesn't separate himself, he'll be OK. We still support him, but enough is enough. We're ready to get this thing started and turned around. There's still a great chance he can be a great quarterback."

Whelihan was popular with his teammates. But he threw 19 interceptions last year after taking over for Leaf. He was 2-12 as a starter, including 0-7 in 1997 after Stan Humphries was sidelined with his second concussion of the season.

The Chargers cut four receivers Saturday among their 16 roster moves, leaving them with three healthy wideouts. They must make two more cuts by Sunday to get down to the 53-man limit.

 

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