Injured George To Miss 4 Weeks

INDIANAPOLIS An examination of quarterback Jeff George's rightthumb Sunday revealed no torn ligament but he is expected to be outfor four weeks while a stretched ligament heals, the IndianapolisColts announced.

"An MRI performed by Dr. Arthur Rettig showed no tear and theright ulna collateral ligament is stretched," club spokesman CraigKelley said.

George injured the thumb when he hit the helmet of a Cincinnatidefender in the first half of Saturday night's exhibition game withthe Bengals.

"The injury is a reoccurrence of a collegiate injury and nosurgery is scheduled," Kelley said.

The injury comes with backup quarterback Jack Trudeau stillunsigned, leaving Mark Herrmann and Tom Tupa as the only quarterbacksavailable for the team's final pre-season game at Kansas City Friday.

"That's good news that Jeff's injury isn't as serious as theyfeared," Trudeau said Sunday in a telephone interview.

At the suggestion of his agent, Leigh Steinberg, Trudeaudeclined to discuss his contract situation.

Trudeau, the team's lone holdout, has been complaining for weeksthat management hasn't been dealing with him fairly and Saturdaynight he said the injury to George proved the need to get him intocamp.

The Colts feared a torn ligament Saturday night and generalmanager Jim Irsay said then that he would need surgery and probablybe out for six-to-eight weeks.

"I didn't want it to happen, but it's inevitable in professionalfootball that a starting quarterback can be hurt," Trudeau saidSaturday night. "Now the worst case scenario has come true."

Trudeau was reportedly seeking a contract worth about $1.5million annually. A newspaper earlier this month reported the Coltsoffered him a deal worth $1.3 million a year, but withdrew it andreplaced it with a $900,000-a-year offer.

Trudeau said Saturday there have been no substantial talksbetween his agent and the Colts management for about two weeks, eventhough "we've tried practically every day to talk to them."

In a interview on WTHR-TV during the game, Irsay said the Coltshave been trying to sign Trudeau.