After two weeks of dressing as an emergency-only option and never seeing the field, St. Louis Rams linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa said yesterday he's ready to return to the team's ailing defense.

Tinoisamoa, a former University of Hawai'i standout, has a broken left hand and a dislocated left elbow, but told coach Scott Linehan he feels a lot better. Plus, he's tired of watching.

"Watching us lose and getting beat up, I didn't like it because I felt like maybe I could have done something," Tinoisamoa said. "At least if we're going to get beat up as a defense, I want to get beat up with them."

Another player who's been on the sidelines, kickoff returner J.R. Reed, will be back on Sunday at Seattle. Unlike Tinoisamoa, Reed has been healthy.

Reed has been inactive on game day the last three weeks with the Rams trying others at his role. Tony Fisher's season-ending knee injury, which landed him on injured-reserve, re-opened the door for Reed.

Tinoisamoa was the team's leading tackler each of the last three seasons and is one of the defensive leaders. The Rams' woes on run defense the last two weeks against the Chiefs' Larry Johnson and the Chargers' LaDainian Tomlinson made it an especially trying time.

Tinoisamoa said he's tired of waiting even though there's danger of aggravating the injuries. He'll likely have to wear a brace for the elbow injury the rest of the season, and then deal with the problem.

"I probably can but I just want to play," Tinoisamoa said. "They know me, they know what kind of person I am. What are they going to tell me?"

Tinoisamoa could provide a calming influence to Will Witherspoon, in his first year as a middle linebacker.

"I think it's that Hawai'i hang-loose mentality," Tinoisamoa said. "I don't panic and I think that's where I help a little bit.

"Will's playing a new position so it helps him when he knows where I'm at."

BEARS

Brian Urlacher grabbed something from his locker and headed straight to the weight room yesterday morning. After practice, he bolted inside. The Chicago Bears' star middle linebacker had no trouble avoiding reporters, but will he make it onto the field Sunday against the New York Giants?

Coach Lovie Smith said Urlacher sat out practice with a sprained left big toe and was "feeling a lot better today," but did not reveal much else.

BILLS

Buffalo running back Willis McGahee is out indefinitely with three broken ribs, leaving the Bills without their best offensive threat against the Indianapolis Colts this weekend.

Coach Dick Jauron yesterday ruled McGahee out, adding the player's injury is more severe than initially thought. Jauron said follow-up tests showed McGahee damaged three ribs in Buffalo's 24-10 win over Green Bay last weekend.

Jauron also announced Josh Reed is out indefinitely. The backup receiver spent two days in a Buffalo-area hospital this week after bruising his kidney against Green Bay.

FALCONS

Atlanta had nine players miss yesterday's practice with injuries ranging from the serious (defensive end John Abraham is still recovering from abdomen surgery) to the not-so-bad (defensive tackle Grady Jackson has a habitually sore knee).

And that didn't even include safety Kevin Mathis and offensive guard Kynan Forney, a former University of Hawai'i standout, who both went on injured reserve and will miss the rest of the season.

49ERS

The San Francisco 49ers ended negotiations with the city about building a new stadium and plan to move to either Santa Clara or somewhere else in California, The Associated Press learned last night.

Owner John York notified Mayor Gavin Newsom of the team's decision, a city official close to the negotiations told The AP on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made. Team spokesman Aaron Salkin declined to comment Wednesday night.

JAGUARS

Jacksonville placed rookie defensive end Brent Hawkins on injured reserve, another loss for a defense playing without three key starters. The Jags could also be without Pro Bowl defensive tackles Marcus Stroud and John Henderson against Houston on Sunday.

Stroud has missed the last four games with a nagging bone bruise in his right ankle, joining linebacker Mike Peterson and DE Reggie Hayward on the sideline.

PANTHERS

Carolina defensive tackle Jordan Carstens was hospitalized yesterday with a blood clot in his left lung.

A team official said Carstens complained of pain in his chest early yesterday and did not practice. When the pain got worse, he was taken to Carolinas Medical Center, where his condition was diagnosed. He will not play Monday night against Tampa Bay.

TEXANS

Three defensive linemen, including No. 1 pick Mario Williams, missed Houston's practice yesterday because of a stomach virus.

Also out were defensive tackles Travis Johnson and Anthony Maddox. Receiver/kick returner Edell Shepherd became ill with a similar problem during practice.

"We've got this thing going around and hopefully we can get through that this week," coach Gary Kubiak said. "It concerns you because you've got to keep going and you don't have many players."