Quarterback Neil Lomax said Friday his arthritic left hip was so bad it was unlikely he could play for the Phoenix Cardinals and that he will decide by Monday whether to retire.
"I haven't been able to get out there and do the things I'm capable of doing," said the 30-year-old Lomax, who has limped through training camp. I can't really take part in the drills or take part in the offense and perform at the National Football League level - not to where I'd be satisfied."To play my position, it takes a lot more than doing a lot of pushups, situps and stretches. . . . Realistically, I can't play now. That's where it is."
Lomax, selected twice for the Pro Bowl, said he and his wife, Laurie, will meet with Coach Gene Stallings and General Manager Larry Wilson during the weekend.
"We're going to sit down and decide what's going to happen to Neil Lomax. There's a lot of options. You can go on the physically unable to perform list, the injured list, retirement or keep trying," Lomax said.
"I really don't know what I want to do."
Lomax is entering the second year of a guaranteed four-year, $5.7 million contract that pays him $1.3 million this season.
If Lomax doesn't retire, he likely would be placed on the team's injured list.
Under a new NFL rule, any player put on the injured list before the 47-man roster cutdown deadline of Sept. 4 cannot be activated and is out for the entire season.