Packers’ Sherman Loses GM Duties

Ted Thompson was hired Friday to take over Coach Mike Sherman’s general manager duties with the Green Bay Packers.

Thompson left his job as Seattle’s vice president of football operations.

Thompson was given full authority over football operations, including the power to hire and fire the coach. Thompson was scheduled to arrive in Green Bay on Friday night and meet with Sherman during the weekend.

“Ted is the boss of the football organization,” Packer President Bob Harlan said. “I put him at the top of the football operation. The coach is his responsibility.... It is now his call.”

It’s not clear whether Thompson will pursue a contract extension with Sherman, who has a year left on his deal, which was to pay him about $3 million for his dual roles. His new titles are head coach and executive vice president.

Harlan said Thompson’s hiring would enable Sherman to devote more time to coaching.

“In today’s salary cap world of professional football where rosters are overhauled every off-season, both the job of a general manager and the job of a head coach are extremely demanding and require an inordinate amount of time and effort,” Harlan said.

Sherman took on the general manager’s role in 2001 after Ron Wolf retired. Thompson was the pro personnel director and director of player personnel under Wolf from 1992 to ’99 in Green Bay.

Thompson joined Mike Holmgren in Seattle after the 1999 season and has run the draft and advised him on personnel decisions.

*

Bob Whitsitt was fired by the Seahawks as president of football operations.

“I decided to take a change of direction and bring in somebody with a deep background in football to run the football side of the organization,” Seahawk owner Paul Allen said. “I didn’t take it lightly at all, but felt it’s what is needed for the franchise.”

Whitsitt served as Seahawk president for eight years and helped negotiate the purchase and development of Qwest Field and the hiring of Holmgren as head coach.

Whitsitt is the former president and general manager of the Portland Trail Blazers, also owned by Allen. Whitsitt is currently recovering from colon surgery to remove a growth.

*

San Diego Coach Marty Schottenheimer agreed to a two-year contract extension with the Chargers that runs through the 2007 season.

Schottenheimer has one year left on his original four-year deal, which he signed in January 2002 and paid him $2.5 million a season.

He helped turn the Chargers from the NFL’s worst team at 4-12 to the AFC West champions at 12-4 and won Associated Press coach of the year honors. San Diego made the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons.

*

With Philadelphia Eagle weakside linebacker Mark Simoneau doubtful for Sunday’s playoff game against Minnesota because of an ankle injury, Keith Adams will start and former starter Nate Wayne also will play.

Coach Andy Reid said that Simoneau did not practice and would “struggle to make it to the game.”

Simoneau moved from middle linebacker to the weakside spot midway through the season. He was injured in Philadelphia’s final regular-season game, against Cincinnati.

*

Randy Moss returned to practice with the Minnesota Vikings and moved around well on his sprained right ankle despite some soreness.

Moss, listed as probable for Sunday’s playoff game at Philadelphia, was held out of practice on Wednesday and Thursday to rest.

“He looked great,” Viking Coach Mike Tice said. “He didn’t have a hitch in his giddy-up, so that was good.”

*

The St. Louis Rams expect wide receiver Isaac Bruce, listed as questionable because of groin and hand injuries, to play in tonight’s playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons.

“We’ll see how he’s doing,” Coach Mike Martz said. “I think he’ll be fine. We’ll just check him out before the game to be sure. I’m not really concerned about it.”