Redskins' Hall May Be Done

Hall's injury means another personnel change for the Redskins. Since preseason, the team has dealt with problems with injuries in the secondary, primarily to cornerback Shawn Springs.

For a time, it appeared Hall was in trouble, and this latest injury could spell the end of his tenure with the Redskins.

During preseason, Gibbs said he had complete faith in Hall, a Gibbs favorite who, over two seasons in Washington, had struggled with assorted leg injuries. According to sources, Jones, 23, had outperformed Hall during practice, and the Redskins had considered keeping Jones on the roster as a kickoff specialist, but Gibbs was loyal to Hall and did not want to use a roster spot on an extra kicker. But when preseason games began, Jones did not attempt a field goal or extra point and was used on kickoffs only sparingly. After he was cut, Jones worked out with the New York Jets.

"I think they'll do this very quickly," said Rich DeLuca, Novak's agent. "They'll probably give everyone 10 to 12 kicks each, let them do what they all do. And by 1 or 2 p.m. they'll probably have themselves a new kicker."

Hall underwent groin surgery over the summer -- a similar procedure to the one undergone by Springs -- and Gibbs left the kickoff duties to the punter Derrick Frost. As the season began, Hall told Gibbs he felt better and wanted to kick off as well. Last week against Jacksonville, Hall was praised by Gibbs for his kickoffs and for going 3 for 3 on field goals.

Hall is 9 for 11 this season on field goals, but the two he missed were crucial. He missed a 48-yard attempt in the final seconds of the Redskins' 19-16 opening-game loss to Minnesota at FedEx Field that would have sent the game into overtime. In Sunday's loss to the Giants, Hall missed a 42-yard attempt that ended a key 12-play drive that had followed a Giants drive that ended in the first touchdown of the game. On field goal attempts of 40 yards or more, Hall is 2 for 4.

"It's very discouraging, for him and for all of us that he's injured again," Tyer said.

Novak started the season with Arizona before being released when Neil Rackers returned from injury. He originally joined the Redskins on Sept. 13, 2005, after being in training camp with Chicago and Dallas, and filled in well for the injured Hall, going 5 for 7 on field goal tries, including a 39-yard overtime game-winner on Oct. 2 against Seattle.

"He's a lot more than a local guy at this point. He did a great job for them," DeLuca said. "He won a game for them. He was perfect on field goals and extra points. He was very good on kickoffs. He did a great job in Arizona. For an undrafted rookie free agent, the kid was money."

Staff writer Jason La Canfora contributed to this report.