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Tommy Mac

RIVER FALLS, Wis. (AP) — Kansas City running back Priest Holmes has a message for holdout Pro Bowler Larry Johnson: If you don’t want the job, I’ll take it.

Holmes, a three-time Pro Bowler himself, has been out of football since 2005 after suffering what many figured was a career-ending injury.

He created a stir in July with his surprise return to the Chiefs, and said this week his comeback attempt is going well as he works himself back into game shape.

Tuesday, he was on the practice field in pads, taking handoffs and absorbing hits from assistant coaches using blocking pads.

Afterward, Holmes said he’s ready to fill the 27-year-old Johnson’s shoes — at least financially.

“Somebody has to get the money,” he said. “Hey, if L.J. wants to leave the money out there, guess I’m going to take it. If he wants to come get it, it’s rightfully his to take. He’s earned it. But if he chooses not to come back, well, somebody has to take it. Why won’t it be me?”

Johnson has been a no-show at camp as he seeks an extension to the seven-year deal he inked in 2003, which he can void down to a five-year deal after the final game of the 2007 season because of playing time incentives.

Johnson is demanding compensation in the range of $28 million guaranteed, insisting he be paid as much as San Diego Pro Bowler LaDainian Tomlinson. Johnson is scheduled to earn $1.7 million this season, and Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson has said Johnson would be fined more than $14,000 for every day he misses.

One of the NFL’s greatest runners until his injury, Holmes rushed for a team-record 5,933 yards after signing as an unrestricted free agent in 2001. He scored 27 touchdowns in 2003 to set what was then an NFL record.

The 33-year-old running back had been on the physically unable-to-perform list since a devastating tackle by San Diego’s Shawne Merriman on Oct. 30, 2005, left him with head and neck trauma. After extensive tests, doctors warned of a possibility of further injury, perhaps even paralysis — a danger that may still lurk.

“This is about perseverance and having a great story to tell,” Holmes said. “I think that all the valuable years I’ve put into my tank, there’s a lot in me still.”

Some NFL observers were dubious about Holmes’ motives for returning, especially in light of Johnson’s holdout.

“‘Dubious’ is a great word,” Holmes said. “But dedication is a little bit more defined in concrete. I mean, we have what’s called ‘making it rain.’ We have the dog fighting. We have so many things that have cast a negative light on the NFL. This is just a great story to show guys that regardless of what situation you’re in, you can persevere.”

Holmes, who received a clean bill of health from Kansas City’s doctors before reporting to camp, last played a full season in 2003. He played in eight games before missing the remainder of 2004 with a hip injury, then played in seven games in 2005 before the helmet-to-helmet hit from Merriman.

Holmes said seeing highlights of himself this summer during a football camp made him start thinking about returning to the Chiefs.

“Once I saw myself, the first thing I looked at it was as if I was a fan,” he said. “I said, ‘Man, I did that? Oh, that’s a nice run. Oh, I love that touchdown move right there. I got to do that again.”‘

He continues to go through individual workouts on a side practice field.

“I haven’t had any setbacks so far,” Holmes said. “The biggest thing with football is taking all the contact and then continuing to run.”

Chiefs offensive lineman Brian Waters, an eight-year veteran and a good friend of Holmes, said players are keeping an eye on the running back’s progress.

“We know just by watching him run, he’s still got a lot of his abilities,” Waters said. “His quickness is strong. It’s going to be a mental thing, for sure, but we’ll see. I’ve seen him come back from serious injuries before and have a great season, so nothing would surprise me coming from that man.”

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have announced that Chris Simms is to be listed as inactive for the game against the New England Patriots on Friday.

Commentary: The story coming out of the St. Petersburg Times has Simms still suffering after-effects from his splendectomy surgery undergone in September. Simms has problems with his proprioception, described in part by Wikipedia as “the sense that indicates whether the body is moving with required effort, as well as where the various parts of the body are located in relation to each other.” So, sort of a drawback for an NFL quarterback. The Times is also convinced that Simms will soon be out of Tampa Bay completely.

Fantasy Football Impact: Simms, bad. Jeff Garcia, good.

Unfortunately, fans in New England will have to wait a bit longer to see Randy Moss‘ first game with the Patriots. Because of a hamstring injury that has hampered Moss throughout training camp, the 10th-year man is likely out for the Pats’ preseason opener in Tampa Bay this Friday.

Commentary: Over the last decade the 30-year-old Moss, whom New England acquired from Oakland for a fourth-round pick during April’s draft, has hauled in 676 receptions for 10,700 yards and 101 touchdowns, and he’s expected to be quarterback Tom Brady’s first-ever bona fide No. 1 target. In the past, the Canton-bound Brady has turned several wideouts into much better players than they really were, but he may not have to do that with Moss, who’s also probably on his way to the Hall of Fame.

Fantasy Football Impact: Fantasy owners should definitely keep an eye on Moss’ status throughout the preseason. He’s been somewhat injury-prone during his career and is coming off a weak season with the Raiders (42 catches, three touchdowns in 13 games). Despite Moss’ career credentials, using anything higher than a third-rounder on him could prove to be an error in a New England offense that loves to spread the ball around to several targets.