Holmes’ future still unclear
Edwards has had little contact with running back, whose neck injury came almost one year ago.
By ELIZABETH MERRILL
The Kansas City Star
It has been nearly a year since Priest Holmes’ season drifted away in the San Diego sun, and Holmes still isn’t anywhere near Arrowhead Stadium. Some hurt players stick around and watch practice, but Holmes is back in San Antonio with his future as uncertain as the day he collided with Shawne Merriman.
“I don’t know if it’s telling,” coach Herm Edwards said of Holmes’ absence. “I haven’t been around Priest a whole lot. They say he’s like Casper the Friendly Ghost. You’ll never find him or see him. That’s just kind of his way. I just know that we’ll have another conversation in another week to figure out which way we’re going.”
The Chiefs have until the 12th week of the season to decide whether to put him on the roster or place him on injured reserve. Holmes has been out since Oct. 30, when he suffered head and neck trauma after a helmet-to-helmet collision.
Holmes, a three-time Pro Bowl running back, turned 33 last weekend. Financial reasons might motivate him to keep going. If it is written into his contract, Holmes would probably have to pay back a portion of his $8.5 million signing bonus if he were to retire.
Chiefs president/general manager Carl Peterson said he talks to Holmes about every other week and that he still seems open to playing. Holmes will undergo another medical evaluation soon to determine whether he’s neurologically sound to practice.
The Chiefs could use Holmes now. They got a scare last weekend when Larry Johnson was twisted violently by his facemask — Johnson is expected to play this weekend — and are waiting for Michael Bennett to come back from a hamstring injury. Peterson said he expects Bennett back “very shortly.”
Holmes’ future is much muddier.
“He’s working out, but not, very frankly, with a great deal of vigor right now,” Peterson said. “He’s doing fine physically, but it’s still going to be the doctors’ decision, and he knows that.”
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•HUARD HONOR: Chiefs quarterback Damon Huard was selected the AFC Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday, and kicker Lawrence Tynes earned AFC special-teams honors.
Huard, called in to start for the first time since 2000 when Trent Green went down Sept. 10, threw for 288 yards Sunday led the Chiefs to a comeback victory at Arizona. It’s the first time Huard has received the award.
He’ll start again Sunday, when the Chiefs travel to Pittsburgh. Huard has led his team to back-to-back victories and is one of the league’s top-rated passers.
“Who would’ve ever imagined going into the season that our first two wins, Damon Huard would be quarterback? Probably nobody,” Edwards said. “Good for him, and good for this football team. Because it says a lot.”
