"At one point in Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins, Jaguars quarterback David Garrard remembers picking yellow paint off the fingers on his throwing hand.

By then, the damage was already done.

Garrard will have surgery in Jacksonville today to repair a torn ligament in the middle finger of his right hand. He will miss Sunday's season finale in Houston and any playoff games should the Jaguars make the postseason. Trent Edwards will start in Garrard's place.

"I feel confident in him. I know he'll do a fine job," Garrard said. "I thought actually it would be a simple, quick process and be out rehabbing it in a couple weeks. But it's actually quite a lengthy process."

Garrard said the rehab on his finger will take about two months.

The quarterback was one of four Jaguars players who didn't practice Wednesday. Running back Maurice Jones-Drew, linebacker Justin Durant and receiver Mike Sims-Walker missed practice as well. Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said of those four, Sims-Walker is the "most likely" to return.

Garrard initially injured his finger late in the game against the Indianapolis Colts two weeks ago. He hit it on the helmet of Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney. Garrard finished the game and said he thought the injury was minor.

He also denied that it affected him against the Redskins.

"I love being around these guys, and we've been battling our butts off all year," Garrard said. "I hate that I have to finish with the finger. It's something I've never had an issue with before. I've never had an issue with anything before. My wife did tell me to count my blessings, go through all these games and all these hits and only come out with a banged-up finger. I do count my blessings."

Garrard missed the Jaguars' Oct. 24 game against Kansas City because of a concussion he suffered in a Monday night game against Tennessee."