HOUSTON (AP) – Tony Boselli is expected to retire this week because of injuries, ending the career of a player who was once the league’s best offensive lineman, a source within the NFL told The Associated Press.

Boselli, a former Jacksonville Jaguars star and the first player the Houston Texans selected in the 2002 expansion draft, sat out almost all of the last two years because of three operations on his left shoulder.

He missed most of the 2001 season with the Jaguars and spent last season on the Texans’ injury list.

Boselli, 31, was expected to end his eight-year career with an announcement this week, the source said Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity. Boselli declined comment when reached at his home Tuesday night.

When healthy, Boselli was considered the NFL’s premier left offensive tackle. He allowed just 15 sacks in seven seasons with the Jags, who made him their first-ever draft pick with the second selection overall in 1995. He helped lead the team to the 1996 AFC championship game.

The five-time Pro Bowl offensive left tackle came to Houston after playing in only three games for Jacksonville in 2001. He was All-Pro in 1997-99 before getting hurt.

Boselli counted $7.55 million against the Texans’ salary cap last year, but he initiated negotiations to lower his base salary to $655,000 in 2003. Consequently, he will count only $3.05 million against the cap this season and $3.05 million more in 2004.

Texans general manager Charley Casserly stopped short of confirming Boselli’s retirement but said late Wednesday the team expected to make a statement regarding Boselli within 24 hours.

“We’re holding off making that statement but I think at minicamp he gave it everything he had and I think at that point, he realized at some point things weren’t as good as he hoped they would be for him to play,” Casserly said.

“He takes time off (after minicamp) and during that time off you have expectations of what you’re going to feel like and where you’re going to be, I don’t know if all those things happened how he had hoped.”

Boselli lined up with the first unit at left tackle during minicamp.

“If Tony doesn’t play we have a $3 million (salary cap) hit this year and we may move the $3 million hit from next year to this year, again on the premise he doesn’t play,” Casserly said. “That’s something we have to look at.”

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