Covington may be next to jump on QB carousel

ST. LOUIS -- The season can't end fast enough for the Rams, who might be down to their fourth quarterback.

Marc Bulger, injured during Sunday's 30-10 loss at Seattle and replaced by Jamie Martin, will miss the finale with a spinal injury that the team said Monday will not require surgery or harm his career.

Bulger joins Kurt Warner, who was placed on injured reserve Dec. 12, and backup Martin also might be sidelined with a bruised left knee that left him hobbling Monday.

That means Scott Covington could find himself on the hot seat next Monday night as the defending NFC champions (6-9) limp to the finish line against playoff-bound San Francisco (10-5).

Rams coach Mike Martz didn't exactly have a glowing endorsement for Covington, signed Oct. 1 after being released at the end of the preseason by the Bengals, saying Monday that "he has to be ready."

"Maybe we'll have to get somebody else out there and get them ready in three days. We'll figure something out," Martz said.

Covington, who played at Miami, was a seventh-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 1999.

"I'm obviously here, in this building, for a reason," he said. "I'm not here to hang out. If it's time, it's time."

The Rams will have 10 players on injured reserve if they add Bulger, linebacker Tommy Polley (ankle) and defensive end Grant Wistrom (leg), all hurt in Sunday's game, to the list.

"We're taking tryouts at some of these positions," Martz said. "We get anybody else hurt, we'll be in Arena ball here pretty quick."

Bulger was hurt when he was sacked early in the game. An MRI exam Monday revealed the spinal injury, described as three compression fractures.

Team physician Matt Matava said Bulger should be healthy in six to eight weeks. He finishes the year with an NFL-leading 101.5 passer rating, three-tenths of a percent better than the New York Jets' Chad Pennington.

"There's no risk for long-term side effects, this is not a career-threatening injury and he should not miss any time in minicamp," Matava said.

Martin was ineffective before he injured his left knee at the end of Sunday's game, throwing three interceptions. He struggled on longer throws and was 31-for-48 for 259 yards with one touchdown and no completion longer than 18 yards.

In three starts, Martin has four touchdown passes and eight interceptions and the Rams have scored 13, 10 and 10 points with him.

"He made some mental errors in that game," Martz said. "Just not playing, that's going to happen, and when you're behind and you're trying to throw it all the time that really compounds it."

Martin hurt the same knee in Game 4 against Dallas when he stepped in after Warner broke his pinkie, and aggravated the injury the following week against the 49ers. That opened the door for Bulger, who was 6-0 as the starter before the Seahawks game and left with Sunday's game scoreless.

Matava said fluid was drained from Martin's knee after the game. When the Rams return to practice Thursday, Covington almost certainly will be working with St. Louis' No. 1 offense.

That unit won't include Trung Canidate, who spent most of Sunday's game on the bench after two early fumbles -- one of which led to the Seahawks' opening field goal. Canidate, who fell out of favor after fumbling three times in the preseason, finished with 4 yards on three carries.