Report: Brees healing

SAN DIEGO, May 20 (UPI) -- Quarterback Drew Brees of the San Diego Chargers apparently will be healed enough for the 2003 NFL campaign.

Brees, who underwent what the team called a "minor procedure," is on the rehab trail. A report Tuesday in the San Diego Union-Tribune said he is on pace to make training camp, if not the team's mandatory minicamp next month.

On April 21, Brees had calcium deposits removed from his lower right leg. He was supposed to wear a protective boot on the leg for 4-6 weeks, but the paper said he was able to shed the boot two weeks ago. The paper also said he is working to regain his strength and flexibility in his Achilles' tendon.

"Right now I'm just trying to drop and do some run-game footwork stuff," Brees told the paper. "Everything feels pretty good. There's no use in trying to push anything right now because I've looked at the calendar and we've got four straight weeks of these coaching sessions, and then our minicamp. As long as I can make that last minicamp -- that was the goal from the beginning."

The mandatory minicamp is June 13-15.

Brees, who has two years experience after being drafted in 2001 out of Purdue, has played in 16 games in his NFL career. He has gone 335-of-553 for 3,505 yards, with 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

He beat out veteran Doug Flutie for the starter's job last season.