Money, Not Injury, May Keep Holmes on Sideline

Kansas City Chiefs running back Priest Holmes limped off Denver's Invesco Field after injuring his hip last December and underwent arthroscopic surgery in March. But it's not the injury that might keep him on the sideline when the season starts. Holmes told "The Kansas City Star" he would be ready to go when training camp opens, but unless he gets a contract extension by the time the Chiefs open against the San Diego Chargers on September 7th, he will sit out the game.

Holmes' demands at this point could fuel speculation that he is not completely confident his hip injury is a thing of the past and could be positioning himself for a big payday now just in case he doesn't come back at full strength. The problem is, the selection of Penn State's Larry Johnson in the first round of the NFL Draft takes away a lot of Holmes' leverage, and if he shows any sign at all in training camp that his hip is not 100%, there's virtually no chance Chiefs team president and general manager Carl Peterson will agree to renegotiate his contract. Read more or discuss it on the forum.