NFL
49ers QB Misses Practice With Sore Arm
By The Source
Aug 4, 2004

SANTA CLARA, CA (AP) - San Francisco 49ers quarterback Tim Rattay will be held out of practice until next week because an inflamed right forearm.

Rattay, who missed his second consecutive day of practice Wednesday, isn't expected to return to the field until next Monday. Rattay has swelling in that area of his throwing arm, but an MRI exam revealed no ligament or soft tissue damage. The team will rest him the remainder of this week as a precaution.

"I think it's just an irritation you get from throwing," 49ers coach Dennis Erickson said. "It happens all the time."

Rattay said the injury is improving and he could practice this week.

"Nothing's really wrong," he said. "It's not a tear or anything like that. It's just normal camp (soreness), but it escalated a little further this time. I just have to monitor it and it should be fine. The good news is it feels a ton better today than it did (Tuesday). It's the kind of thing where, if I had to go, I could go."

Rattay, designated to replace Jeff Garcia as the team's starter this season, still is recovering from a groin injury in the spring that required surgery. The fifth-year veteran tore the adductor tendon off the bone in his upper left groin area May 7 during the team's first spring minicamp practice.

He had surgery to reattach the tendon four days later and returned to the field for the start of training camp July 30.

"The main thing is my leg," Rattay said. "My leg's coming along great. If my arm was fine, I'd be out there. So I just need to get my arm ready and get back."

Coaches have held Rattay out of padded 11-on-11 team drills as he works back into playing shape. Second-year veteran Ken Dorsey has taken Rattay's place with the first-team offense for the past three months.

The 49ers have targeted their Aug. 21 exhibition game at Chicago as Rattay's return to live game action. Dorsey has been tabbed as the starter for San Francisco's preseason opener Aug. 14 against Oakland.

Rattay will be joined on the sidelines by second-year defensive end Andrew Williams, who broke his left leg during Tuesday's morning practice and will be out up to six weeks.