its official...He's done.....
Sources: Sean Lee to have surgery
Updated: October 24, 2012, 12:10 AM ET
By Ed Werder and Todd Archer | ESPN.com
IRVING, Texas -- Sean Lee's season is over.
The Cowboys' inside linebacker will have surgery on his right big toe, according to sources, with a full recovery expected for 2013. The Cowboys feared Lee would need surgery but had held out a slim hope of a comeback but by late Tuesday those hopes were extinguished.
Running back Felix Jones had a similar surgery in 2008 and has not had any issues with the toe since.
Lee suffered the injury in the third quarter of Sunday's win at Carolina. A second MRI on Tuesday confirmed significant ligament damage. He has the most severe case of turf toe with a complete tear.
Some players in the past have been able to play with milder cases of turf toe.
The Cowboys view Lee as a long-time piece to the future of the team, but he has had trouble staying healthy. He almost had his 2011 season come to an end with a dislocated left wrist but managed to miss only one game and played the rest of the season with a cast. He missed two games in 2010 with a hamstring injury after coming in with a knee injury.
Lee leads the Cowboys in tackles with 77 in the first six games, according to the coaches' film. He has two tackles for loss, eight quarterback pressures, one interception, two pass deflections and a forced fumble.
Dan Connor will replace Lee in the starting lineup, and Bruce Carter will take over as the defensive signal caller.