Already resigned to opening training camp without Michael Bennett, the Minnesota Vikings might now confront a far more dire circumstance, with ESPN.com learning that the star tailback could conceivably be sidelined for the entire 2003 season.

Bennett on Wednesday sought a second opinion on his surgically repaired left foot and, according to NFL sources with knowledge of the examination, the results were not very promising for the third-year back. The examination performed by Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte, N.C., revealed that the so-called "Jones fracture," suffered earlier this spring, is not healing as quickly as was anticipated.

If Bennett is indeed lost for the season, it's a blow to fantasy owners who have either already drafted him this preseason or held on to him as a keeper from last year. For those, his 1,296 rushing yards and 5.1 yards per carry will be sorely missed. Minnesota will look for damage control in backups Moe Williams, Doug Chapman and rookie Onterio Smith. Whoever takes over will likely make a fantasy impact. No NFL team averaged more yards per carry or rushed for more yards than the Vikings. Chapman ran with the first unit in spring drills, but Smith was considered by many to be the best all-around running back in the draft after Willis McGahee. When he was selected in the 4th round, he began refering to himself as "SOD," or Steal of the Draft. It's easy to envision him ultimately winning out, but Williams should continue to see goal-line carries and Chapman could make this an all-out battle. Bennett was a top 30 pick in '03, but until a new starter is named, don't consider any of these players until sometime between picks 80-100. -- Brandon Funston, ESPN Fantasy Games Buy your League Manager team today!

One of the leading foot specialists in the country, Anderson has not yet recommended a second operation, and will attempt to promote healing with non-surgical treatments. But sources said that, depending on how the foot responds between now and the beginning of the season, Bennett could miss a portion of the campaign and possibly the entire year.

It is all but a given now that Bennett will not be on the field when the Vikings open camp July 26. When he returns, given Wednesday's exam, which included a CAT scan, is now reduced to a matter of speculation.

"There is valid reason now for concern," one source said. "There is some chance Michael will be out for a significant portion of the season. Maybe all of it. They're going back to bone stimulation (treatment), and things like that, but this certainly isn't good news."

On Tuesday, John Clayton of ESPN.com reported that Bennett had suffered a "setback" in his rehabilitation from the March surgery and might miss the start of camp. The latest report, though, dramatically exacerbates the situation and could leave Minnesota without a proven tailback for 2003.

The club's first-round choice in the 2001 draft, Bennett initially injured his left foot early in the offseason, although he isn't sure of precisely when the fracture occurred. Bennett experienced pain in the foot while working out on a treadmill, and apprised team trainers of it, and a subsequent examination indicated the fracture of the fifth metatarsal bone.

Early indications were that there were no complications and that the foot would heal in the normal rehabilitation time, about six weeks, with Bennett scheduled to be recovered in time for camp. At recent mini-camps, though, Bennett experienced soreness and pain in the foot. That prompted his request for a second opinion.

Bennett and team officials believed, until Wednesday, that the pain was just a function of the rehabilitation process, a soreness a result of the tailback participating in his first full workouts in three months. Unfortunately, that was not the case, and Bennett and the team face weeks of uncertainty.

"It might come down," said one source, "to how much pain (Bennett) can handle. And then again, that might not even be the case, especially if the healing process is slow."

The loss of Bennett, especially for a prolonged period, would be a blow to a Vikings team that very quietly led the league in rushing in 2002. Bennett, 24, certainly was a principle catalyst for a running game that averaged 156.7 yards per game, as the former Wisconsin standout rushed for 1,296 yards, in what most observers felt was a breakout season that concluded with the tailback going to the Pro Bowl.

Without a healthy Bennett in the backfield, the Minnesota rushing attack most likely will be diminished.

The other three tailbacks on the roster -- veterans Moe Williams and Doug Chapman and rookie Onterrio Smith -- have combined for just 1,184 rushing yards. Williams is coming off a career-high 414 yards in 2002, but the six-year veteran has mostly performed as a short-yardage back during his career, and has never carried more than 84 times.

A third-round pick in the 2000 draft, Chapman is said to have great promise, but he has just 284 rushing yards in three seasons. Smith was a fourth-round choice this year, and the former Oregon standout was regarded as a tremendous value on the second day of the lottery, but faces the typical rookie challenges.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.