Holmes tells Chiefs he's ready to resume career

KANSAS CITY, Missouri: Running back Priest Holmes, sidelined last season with neck and shoulder injuries, told the the Kansas City Chiefs on Wednesday he wants to resume his National Football League career.

Holmes told the team he will report to training camp on Saturday.

The 33-year-old started last season on the physically-unable-to-perform list and never came off it.

He missed the final nine games of the 2005 campaign with neck and shoulder injuries, but has now passed a physical and is ready to resume football activities.

"In my conversation with Priest, he was excited about playing," Chiefs president Carl Peterson said. "Later, (coach) Herm (Edwards) and I sat down with Priest here in Kansas City and discussed his decision and our thoughts on his return.

"We may put him on active PUP (physically unable to perform) initially to gauge his football conditioning to see how he feels after non-contact drills. But he indicated very strongly to me that he wanted to play and his motivation was to help the Kansas City Chiefs win a championship."

From 2002-04, Holmes amassed 66 total touchdowns, an NFL record for a three-year span.

Signed in April 2001 after spending his first four seasons with Baltimore, Holmes rushed for 5,933 yards and 76 touchdowns in 61 games with the Chiefs. His 24 100-yard games match Larry Johnson for the most in franchise history.

Entering camp, the Chiefs question whether Johnson, who rushed for 1,789 yards and 17 touchdowns last season, will be there. He reportedly is unhappy with his contract.

AFP

(China Daily 07/27/2007 page23)