It was confirmation day at Alltel Stadium. Tony Boselli will have shoulder surgery on Monday, and the NFL finally acknowledged that R. Jay Soward has begun serving his second "substance abuse" suspension of this season.
"I'm obviously very disappointed. Nobody likes this part, but you take it in stride. It was pretty evident after Sunday," Boselli said.
The Jaguars' star offensive left tackle will have his right shoulder surgically repaired by head team physician Dr. Carlos Tandron. Boselli said problems he's had with his left shoulder will not be addressed until a later date.
"It's the right one right now. There's nothing with the left shoulder that's stopping me from playing," Boselli said.
Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin said he will not make a determination as to whether or not Boselli can return to action this season, until after the Monday surgery. "We'll see what the surgery brings before we decide that," Coughlin said.
Boselli said the surgery will begin with an arthroscopic procedure that will reveal the extent of the damage and the necessary repair, but "everything will be done Monday that needs to be done," he added.
Coughlin said recently-acquired Todd Fordham will move into Boselli's void at left tackle. Last season, Fordham replaced Zach Wiegert at right tackle at midseason, and Fordham performed impressively enough to attract a contract from Denver in unrestricted free agency. Fordham was signed by the Jaguars last week, after having been released by the Broncos on Sept. 2.
"It's like last year. Somebody gets hurt and you make the most of it," Fordham said.
Meanwhile, Soward is in the first week of his new six-game suspension, and he won't be eligible to play this season until Monday, Dec. 3, against the Green Bay Packers.
"R. Jay needs to get his life together. He's a young man who has outstanding talent, but he has a cross to bear. For him to play again, he's got to do something about it," Coughlin said of his 2000 first-round draft choice from Southern Cal.
"There's no doubt about the seriousness of his problem. If there's going to be any future in this league, R. Jay is clearly going to have to do something about this," Coughlin added somberly.
Soward, of course, had just concluded a four-game suspension for violation of the league's "substance abuse" policy. A third suspension would be a year in length.
