KIRKLAND, Wash. -- Trent Dilfer's knee is still not healed, so Matt Hasselbeck will be the starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks when they open their regular season Sunday in Oakland.

	Hasselbeck

Coach Mike Holmgren said Tuesday he's uncertain of Dilfer's status. Dilfer was in uniform, but not in pads, and did not take part in Tuesday's 90-minute practice.

"Little by little, he's getting better every day,'' Holmgren said. "As far as exactly where he is and when he can come back and play, no one can exactly tell me that.''

Dilfer sprained his right knee in the Seahawks' exhibition opener Aug. 10 and Hasselbeck started the last three exhibition games. The injury was supposed to keep Dilfer sidelined four to eight weeks.

Demoted by Holmgren when the Seahawks re-signed Dilfer as a free agent during the offseason, Hasselbeck did not have a good exhibition season. He had a 40.3 quarterback rating, throwing five interceptions and one touchdown pass.

He was intercepted twice in Seattle's 31-0 loss in its exhibition finale in Denver last Thursday night. The Seahawks finished the preseason 1-3.

If Hasselbeck gets hurt in the Seahawks' opener, Holmgren's replacement quarterback would be either Dilfer, if he's healthy enough to play, or newly signed third stringer Dave Dickenson.

"I'd consider dressing him, yeah,'' Holmgren said of Dilfer.

The Seahawks signed Dickenson as a free agent Monday after waiving 1992 Super Bowl MVP Mark Rypien, 39. Dickenson, 29, was released by the San Diego Chargers.

Rypien was with the Seahawks 15 days after being signed as insurance because of Dilfer's injury.

"Dickenson became available and we like him,'' Holmgren said. "We just went for a younger guy who's a little more mobile who, if inserted into a game, can maybe get out of trouble if he had to get out of trouble.''

The Seahawks also could be without two other starters for the Raiders' game: Pro Bowl defensive tackle John Randle (knee) and linebacker Anthony Simmons (knee).

Randle, who missed training camp and the exhibition season after offseason surgery on his left knee, wasn't even on the practice field Tuesday.

Simmons was dressed in his uniform, but wasn't in pads as he watched the practice. Simmons missed the last two exhibition games.

Like Dilfer, Randle and Simmons are day to day, Holmgren said.

"Hopefully, they can come back sooner than later,'' he said.

The Seahawks announced that 10-year NFL veteran linebacker Chad Brown has signed a five-year contract extension. He's in his sixth season in Seattle and was a Pro Bowler for the Seahawks in 1998 and 1999.

"You guys know how it works,'' Holmgren said. "You've got to establish a core group of players that you really want here so that they can finish their careers as Seahawks. Chad was one of those players. We've been working on this for a while.''

Holmgren said that there was nothing new to report on unsigned two-time Pro Bowl offensive left tackle Walter Jones.

"I'm hopeful we can come to an agreement pretty soon,'' he said. "We're talking to them just about every day, but there's still a difference of opinion.''