McNair Put On IR

Steve McNair was placed on injured reserve Monday afternoon, ending the quarterback's injury-plagued season with the Baltimore Ravens and raising questions about his future with the franchise. McNair, 34, will undergo Tuesday morning surgery to repair damage to his left shoulder. It will be the seventh surgery of the 13-year veteran's career. The move was not altogether surprising, given that McNair has not shown much progress in recovering from his shoulder injury and the Ravens are all but out of the playoff chase. In a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 11, McNair sustained a partial dislocation of his non-throwing shoulder and also damage to the rotator cuff. Those injuries both will be dealt with during Tuesday's surgery. McNair's rehabilitation is expected to take months. Five-year veteran Kyle Boller, the Ravens' first round choice in the 2003 draft, will make his third straight start when Baltimore faces New England on "Monday Night Football", and he will remain in that role the rest of the season. Boller and rookie Troy Smith, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and a fifth-round choice in 2007 from Ohio State, are the only quarterbacks on the Ravens' roster. The team probably will sign another backup in the next few days. ESPN's Len Pasqurelli