Faulk Will Miss Season, May Be Near Retirement

St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk will have major reconstructive knee surgery and will sit out the 2006 season, a blow that could mean the end of his career.

Although Coach Scott Linehan said at a news conference Friday that 33-year-old Faulk wasn’t ready to call it quits, 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 off-season, before news of his latest surgery.

He didn’t attend the news conference, and his agent, Rocky Arceneaux, didn’t return a phone call seeking comment.

The 2000 NFL most valuable player is expected to have the surgery on one of his knees next week. It was unclear which knee would be the focus of the operation. Faulk had lesser surgery on both knees this year.

The Rams will keep Faulk on the roster “because it’s Marshall,” Linehan said. “Some guys earn that. I believe he’s one of them.”

Faulk is ninth on the all-time rushing list with 12,279 yards, 33 yards behind Jim Brown. But he had a career-low 292 yards rushing last season.

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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb called former teammate Terrell Owens’ recently released autobiography a “children’s book,” mocked the star receiver for saying he was misquoted in his own book and disputed some of the written allegations.

McNabb and Owens helped lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl during the 2004 season, but their relationship quickly deteriorated in 2005. Owens eventually was kicked off the team and signed with the Dallas Cowboys in March.

“It won’t sell unless he’s talking about me,” McNabb said, adding that he didn’t read the book.

McNabb denied the implication that he influenced management’s decision to suspend Owens.

“I can sit here and say that’s not true,” McNabb said. “If I had that much pull, a lot of changes would be made.”

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The New York Jets signed third-round picks Eric Smith and Anthony Schlegel and fourth-round pick Brad Smith. Eric Smith is a safety from Michigan State, and Schlegel is a linebacker from Ohio State. Brad Smith, a quarterback at Missouri, will play receiver for the Jets.... The Kansas City Chiefs signed second-round pick Bernard Pollard, a safety from Purdue.... Tennessee Titans running back Chris Brown, who is heading into the final year of his contract, is asking to be traded. The Titans also have Travis Henry at running back and drafted former USC star LenDale White.