St. Louis Rams: The Rams appear ready to hold out defensive back Aeneas Williams until the regular season.

"I'm going to keep Aeneas out, probably for the rest of the preseason," Rams coach Mike Martz said Saturday night to the St. Louis Post Dispatch. "That's my decision. Can he practice? Yeah, he can practice. But I think he's got some soreness down there. He could go through it and probably be OK, but it's not worth it."

Williams suffered season-ending leg and ankle injuries last October. He also has been bothered on and off by a chronic case of turf toe.

Williams has looked good this preseason at free safety, and Martz just wants to keep him healthy. "He looks great," Martz said to the paper. "Let's keep it that way. He's ready to go. It's a long season. I'm going to back off and give him a little time off and then get him ready for the opener."

Williams said he's OK with Martz's decision.

"I'm fine," said Williams to the paper. "Whatever the decision is I'm fine with it. It's a good idea. It will be hard sitting around, but it's a good idea. That's all I can say. I'll be fine."

San Francisco 49ers: 49ers quarterback Jeff Garcia is expected to practice Sunday, after sitting out Saturday's single practice resting his cranky back, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. "I plan to be out there next Saturday," Garcia said to the paper of the 49ers next preseason game, against New Orleans. "I don't have any doubt in my mind."

Garcia will be limited to seven-on-seven passing drills in today's workout. "We'll start off and work him into it and see how he feels," coach Dennis Erickson said to the paper.

Also: Seeking to add an experienced backup center with starter Jeremy Newberry gimpy with an ankle injury, the 49ers have signed unrestricted free agent Brock Gutierrez to a one-year contract.

Gutierrez, 29, played six seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals before being released earlier this spring. The former Central Michigan standout has played in 69 games, and started eight of them, and can also line up at guard.

Newberry has torn ligaments in his left ankle but has said he will put off surgery until after the season. San Francisco had no experienced backups behind Newberry.

--Len Pasquarelli

New Orleans Saints: In their latest move to attempt to find a viable backup to starting tailback Deuce McAllister, the Saints on Monday will audition veteran Ki-Jana Carter, ESPN.com has learned.

The first overall choice in the 1995 draft, Carter has suffered through a career marred by injuries, and three times in seven years has appeared in three games or fewer as a result of major physical setbacks. The former Penn State star has not played since 2001, when he rushed for 308 yards as a backup with the Washington Redskins.

Carter, 29, has 290 career carries for 1,055 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also has caught 65 passes for 458 yards. New Orleans currently lists Curtis Keaton as its No. 2 tailback, but would like to upgrade at the position and team personnel staffers have been carefully monitoring other clubs' roster to see who might become available.

--Len Pasquarelli

Indianapolis Colts: Colts fullback Donnel Thompson will miss this season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

"He's one of our leaders on special teams, a guy who practices hard," coach Tony Dungy said Saturday. "Someone else will have to step up."

Thompson was injured Friday night while covering a punt early in the second quarter of Indianapolis' 21-7 preseason win over Seattle.

"I guess I was on someone's back hip and I tried to stop on his leg," Thompson said. "I kept on going." Thompson was helped off the field by two trainers then was carted into the locker room. He had an MRI on Saturday morning and showed up in the locker room on crutches.

Thompson is in his third year with the Colts after spending his rookie season with Pittsburgh. He's played primarily on special teams and occasionally at linebacker before the Colts moved him to fullback in training camp.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.