Turley's future in doubt???

[Smith22]

By John Clayton
ESPN.com

Now that he's learned he's out for the season, St. Louis Rams right tackle Kyle Turley will take some time to determine what to do next. Every medical checkup revealed another bulging disc above the area that required surgery in the offseason.

The prognosis was to have a second operation. The only way he could have played was to take epidural shots to relieve the pain, but that would do nothing to fix the problem. The Rams' offensive line is in trouble now that injured center Dave Wohlabaugh has been released and Turley won't be available.


The Rams are expected to put Turley on injured reserve before Tuesday's roster cutdowns to 65 players.



The back problems put the long-term future of Turley in question. He turns 29 on Sept. 24 and has 95 starts during his six-year career. Last season he signed a six-year, $31 million contract that included $10.9 million in guarantees.



His presence along with the addition of Wohlabaugh solidified the blocking for quarterback Marc Bulger, who is not the most mobile quarterback. The improved blocking allowed the Rams to get back into the playoffs last season.



Turley's back started bothering him during the first couple days of training camp. Before camp was a week old, Turley left Macomb, Ill., and starting visiting doctors.



The final prognosis came Wednesday afternoon when a couple of specialists confirmed that his back was not healthy enough to withstand the season.



The Rams acquired Turley from the Saints for a second round choice in the 2004 draft. He was the seventh pick of the 1998 draft by New Orleans.



John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN.com.