St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk will have major reconstructive knee surgery and miss this fall's NFL season, a blow that could spell the end of his career.
Though coach Scott Linehan said at a news conference on Friday that the 33-year-old Faulk wasn't ready to call it quits on his 12-year career, retirement might be on the horizon.
"We were hoping for the best, but we've been planning for both scenarios," said Linehan, in his first year with the Rams. "I think reality is setting in for sure that potentially his career is winding down."
Faulk had been contemplating retirement during the offseason, before news of his latest surgery.
He didn't attend the news conference.
The 2000 NFL MVP is expected to have the surgery on one of his knees next week, the Rams said. It was unclear which knee would be the focus of the operation. Faulk had lesser surgery on both knees earlier this year.
Faulk is ninth on the career rushing list with 12,279 yards, 34 yards behind Jim Brown. But he had a career-low 292 yards rushing last year and made only one start, in the season finale when Steven Jackson was out with a hip pointer.
Faulk hasn't participated in the team's minicamps this year.
He has been to seven Pro Bowls, has seven 1,000-yard rushing seasons and 38 100-yard games.
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