Decision on McNair's Season Could Come Soon

The Tennessee Titans might make a decision today on whether to end quarterback Steve McNair's frustrating season.

The reigning NFL co-most valuable player, who has repeatedly aggravated his bruised sternum since originally suffering the injury during a Sept. 26 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, has played in eight of Tennessee's 13 games this season. Coach Jeff Fisher said during his news briefing Thursday that he was meeting again with McNair to discuss the possibility of shutting down McNair's season.

"If we make a decision not to play Steve the remainder of the season, then obviously we will make that public," Fisher said. "We are still talking about that right now. I may very well have an answer for you" Friday.

The Titans, with a record of 4-9, have been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, and McNair is the league's 29th-rated passer. He has completed 60 percent of his throws for 1,343 yards with eight touchdowns, nine interceptions and a passer rating of 73.1. That's a far cry from last season, when he connected on 62.5 percent of his passes for 3,215 yards with 24 touchdowns, seven interceptions and a league-leading rating of 100.4, and shared the MVP award with Peyton Manning. Now, while Manning prepares to break Dan Marino's 20-year-old NFL single-season record for touchdown passes, McNair talks about contemplating retirement during an offseason in which he will turn 32.

Backup Billy Volek has started the Titans' last two games and has totaled 695 passing yards and seven touchdowns, including 426 yards and four touchdowns in Monday night's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Volek is the NFL's 12th-rated passer, further justifying the Titans' decision to re-sign him to a four-year, $6.8 million contract last offseason, when he was as a free agent.

But the Titans don't want to see the heart and soul of their franchise walk away from the sport in the offseason, exasperated over his inability to stay healthy, and Fisher said that if the club does end McNair's season early, it will be to give him an offseason to heal fully and begin readying for next season.

"He loves the game and he wants to play and he wants to try and help us win," Fisher said. " . . . These guys are here to play. They are not here not to play. So if he is able to play, he wants to play. . . . [But] if you do not play him and you start the rehab in the offseason, now he is going to be that much further along once the spring comes around. He needs an offseason. In all fairness to him, he hasn't had one. He needs an offseason where he can run around and lift and condition himself to put himself in the best shape. . . . That is possible with time." . . .

The Titans need to win their final three games to avoid having their worst full season under Fisher. He is in his 10th full season as the team's coach and never has gone worse than 7-9. He did go 1-5, though, after taking over when Jack Pardee was fired by the club -- then the Houston Oilers -- during the 1994 season.

Saban Might Get Offer From Dolphins Soon

The Miami Dolphins might offer their coaching job to LSU Coach Nick Saban soon, said an NFL source who did not wish to be identified because the club still plans to interview other candidates. The Dolphins interviewed Saban on Tuesday and, according to the source, made it clear he is the leading candidate. It is not certain, however, that Saban would accept the job.

The Dolphins likely would offer Saban, a former Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator under Bill Belichick, total control over their football operations.

The Dolphins told Saban that they will conduct other interviews, and they must comply with the league rule to interview at least one minority candidate. They might interview New England Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, but they would have to wait until after the Patriots' season to hire him. NFL rules would allow them to interview Crennel once during the playoffs. The Dolphins apparently wanted to interview ousted Notre Dame coach Tyrone Willingham, but he accepted the University of Washington's coaching job. They could interview former Oakland Raiders coach Art Shell.

The Dolphins' candidates also are thought to include former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Brad Childress and Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Nolan.

Saban also could be a candidate in Cleveland and New Orleans, if the Saints fire Jim Haslett. But Saban's contract at LSU reportedly allows him to interview with NFL teams only before Jan. 1, and the NFL regular season doesn't end until Jan. 2, which would force the Saints to decide on Haslett if they want to pursue Saban. Browns officials have said they plan to divide decision-making authority between their GM and their coach, which might be less appealing to Saban.

Saban, though, might be able to work with Floyd Reese, now the general manager of the Titans. The two are close, dating from their days as fellow Oilers assistant coaches. People around the league say Reese and Fisher have had their problems this season and Reese perhaps could move on, and he might be a candidate to join Saban in Miami if Saban takes the Dolphins' job. Reese also could end up as a GM candidate in Cleveland. . . .

The Browns probably can't get either of their top two GM candidates, Patriots front-office chief Scott Pioli or Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome. Both are under contract. Pioli -- the Patriots' vice president of player personnel who with Belichick built the club's two Super Bowl winners -- has said he intends to remain in New England. Newsome, a Hall of Fame tight end for the Browns in his playing days, has told Ravens officials that he's staying.

That leaves Ravens personnel director Phil Savage as the Browns' leading candidate, people around the league believe. Savage is widely respected around the NFL, and the clout of a GM job almost certainly would get him to leave Baltimore. He was a Browns assistant coach between 1991 and '93 under Belichick, working on Saban's defensive staff. His connection to Saban has produced speculation that they could end up back in Cleveland together, but that probably would not be possible if Saban wants the final say on personnel decisions.

If Savage gets the Browns' GM job and doesn't hire Saban as his coach, his top coaching candidates might include Nolan, Fassel, Crennel and Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz, a former NFL offensive line coach under Belichick in Cleveland and Ted Marchibroda in Baltimore. Ferentz and Savage were on the same Browns coaching staff in 1993.

Cleveland's other leading general manager candidates, assuming that Pioli and Newsome aren't available, could include Reese and Mike Reinfeldt, a former senior vice president of the Seattle Seahawks.

The Browns also could interview former Saints and Seahawks GM Randy Mueller; Ted Thompson, Seattle's current vice president of football operations; Kevin Colbert, the Pittsburgh Steelers' director of football operations; Tom Heckert, the Philadelphia Eagles' vice president of player personnel; Tom Modrak, the assistant GM of the Buffalo Bills; Bobby Grier, the Houston Texans' associate director of pro scouting; Tim Ruskell, the Atlanta Falcons' assistant GM; and Ron Hill, the Falcons' vice president of football operations.

One or more people from that second tier of candidates could end up in Cleveland's front office even if the GM selection comes from among the top group of Savage, Reese and Reinfeldt. Browns officials say they won't begin their general manager search until after the season, even though they could interview candidates currently out of the league -- like Mueller and Reinfeldt -- now without violating the tampering rules. . . .

There are persistent rumblings around the league that Coach Mike Holmgren and team president Bob Whitsitt are not coexisting well in Seattle and one -- or both -- will be gone after the season.

Plummer Fine Could Come Today

The NFL probably will render a verdict today as to whether Denver quarterback Jake Plummer will be fined for making an obscene gesture toward the crowd during the Broncos' victory over the Dolphins last Sunday at Invesco Field at Mile High.

But even if he gets fined, it's been a good week for Plummer. Broncos Coach Mike Shanahan said several times, first in an ESPN interview, that the team will retain Plummer in the offseason. That had not seemed certain in recent weeks, given Plummer's inconsistent performance and the $6 million roster bonus that the Broncos would have to pay him in March to keep him.

Of course, Plummer's status would be unclear again if Shanahan does not remain Denver's coach. That, too, has appeared less than certain of late, although owner Pat Bowlen has reiterated that Shanahan can coach the team as long as he wishes and Shanahan has said that he intends to honor the remaining four years on his contract. . . .

St. Louis quarterback Marc Bulger experienced soreness in his shoulder after doing some throwing during Wednesday's practice, and the Rams did not allow him to cut loose and intensify his throwing program during Thursday's practice. The Rams still are not ruling out a return to the lineup by Bulger this weekend. But, with the soreness he's experiencing, it seems likely that he will miss a second straight game because of his ailing shoulder. Chris Chandler, who threw six interceptions in last weekend's loss at Carolina, would start Sunday at Arizona if Bulger remains sidelined. . . .

The Titans sent tailback Chris Brown, who continues to be bothered by a "turf toe" injury, to Birmingham to be examined today by orthopedic specialist James Andrews, but expect him to play Sunday against the Raiders. . . .

The Dallas Cowboys moved Tony Romo ahead of Drew Henson this week as their No. 2 quarterback behind Vinny Testaverde. . . .

New York Jets quarterback Chad Pennington continues to experience soreness in his throwing shoulder. He threw three interceptions in last Sunday's loss at Pittsburgh in his second game since returning from a rotator-cuff injury, but says he's not using the injury as an excuse. . . .

There apparently is an outside chance that cornerback Ty Law could play for the Patriots on Monday night against the Dolphins. Law has missed the last six games because of a broken bone in his foot. The Patriots are unbeaten without him, but they probably need him back and playing well for them to survive the rugged AFC playoffs. The Patriots probably will be cautious about Law's return, not wanting to risk him suffering a setback, and it seems more likely that they would wait until next week to ease him back into the playing rotation. After Monday, their next game is against the Jets on Dec. 26 at Giants Stadium. . . .

In the NFL's last five meetings between rookie quarterbacks drafted in the first round, dating to 1993, the quarterback drafted lower won four times. That trend seems likely to continue Saturday at Giants Stadium when Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger, the 11th overall choice in this year's draft, faces top overall selection Eli Manning and the Giants.

The only higher-drafted quarterback to win one of those meetings during that span is Manning's older brother. Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts beat Ryan Leaf and the San Diego Chargers on Oct. 4, 1998.

In the other games, Rick Mirer beat Drew Bledsoe in 1993, Akili Smith beat Tim Couch in '99, Patrick Ramsey beat David Carr in 2002 and Kyle Boller beat Byron Leftwich last season. . . .

Former Bears and Saints coach Mike Ditka joined the ownership group of the Arena Football League's Chicago Rush.