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KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Marc Boerigter is scheduled for knee surgery today and might be lost for the season, throwing the Chiefs' tattered wide receiver corps into even greater disarray.
Boerigter, who seemed ready to rebound from a subpar 2003, twisted his right knee in a noncontact play in Kansas City's 21-19 preseason loss Saturday to Cleveland.
Coach Dick Vermeil said Sunday that doctors believe Boerigter might have ligament damage.
"I'll know more (today) after they operate as to what the projections are," Vermeil said. "Personally, I don't believe (Boerigter will return) this season. That hurt me more than losing the game."
The 6-foot-3 Boerigter had 420 yards and eight touchdowns on 20 catches in 2002, his first season in the league. He slumped last season but looked sharp in camp, catching four passes for 50 yards Aug. 23 against St. Louis.
Johnny Morton, slated to start alongside Eddie Kennison at receiver, has missed virtually all of training camp with a sore Achilles' tendon. Kennison, also slowed by injury, made his first start of the preseason against the Browns.
"I have no clue when (Morton) is coming back," Vermeil said. "He broke a sweat (Saturday) in the pregame warmups and that was a positive. But an Achilles' tendon isn't like dealing with any other injury to your body."
The enfeebled receiver group - never a strength in Vermeil's four seasons - may wind up weakening one of the Chiefs' most potent weapons, the electrifying return game of Dante Hall.
A Pro Bowl player who returned five kicks for touchdowns last season, Hall also is a backup receiver. Should he have to shoulder a greater load as a pass catcher, Hall would almost certainly be relieved of some of his return duties. "We'll have to have someone else take maybe a punt return from time to time and/or a (kickoff)," Vermeil said.
DOLPHINS QB RACE: Jay Fiedler and A.J. Feeley remain deadlocked in the competition to be named Miami's starting quarterback. But with less than two weeks before the regular-season opener, coach Dave Wannstedt isn't worried.
"I feel very comfortable with both guys," Wannstedt said. "What you're seeing in the games is similar to what happens in practice.
"We'll play this thing out and see what happens. Everything will work out. I know that you need two guys. I don't think I've seen a year when you didn't need both guys."
The choice comes down to Fiedler, the starter the past four seasons, or Feeley, who many thought would be handed the job after being acquired from the Eagles for a second-round 2005 draft pick.
Neither quarterback has distanced himself from the other.
Fiedler started in Saturday's 17-10 loss at Tampa Bay and played two series. He finished 7 of 11 for 55 yards. Feeley led the offense on its only two scoring drives and played for a longer stretch, finishing 8 of 14 for 83 yards. The offense was at its best of the preseason behind Feeley, who led a 15-play drive before halftime that ended in a field goal.
Wannstedt said both will play against New Orleans in Friday's preseason finale, but he doesn't expect either to make a decisive leap.
Meanwhile, Travis Minor and Sammy Morris are battling for the starting job at running back. Minor has been ineffective in the preseason, with 26 yards on 19 carries. Morris picked up 20 yards on eight attempts against the Bucs.
BRONCOS: Defensive end Luther Elliss is expected to miss up to two weeks because of a torn pectoral muscle. Elliss missed the first nine weeks of last season with a similar injury. The team had nothing to report on running Mike Anderson's injured left groin.