THE SIDELINES : Ailing Lomax Pondering Retirement

Phoenix Cardinals quarterback Neil Lomax, hobbled by degenerative arthritis in his left hip, says he will decide by Monday if he will retire from the NFL.

Lomax, 30, has been limping badly in preseason training camp here and has been limited to one-a-day workouts this week.

“I don’t want to be like some guy hanging on,” he said Thursday. “Right now, it’s obvious to a lot of people, myself included, I’m not ready to play.”

Lomax, a nine-year pro and two-time Pro Bowler, said he will meet with Cardinals head coach Gene Stallings, general manager Larry Wilson and his wife, Laurie, over the weekend before making his decision.

His hip has been bothering him since the 1988 preseason, but he still threw for 3,395 yards and 20 touchdowns last year.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Lomax, the Cardinals’ second-round draft choice in 1981 out of Portland State, has passed for 22,771 yards and 136 touchdowns in his career.