Titans ship healthy McNair to Baltimore
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Baltimore Ravens are confident Steve McNair is healthy and ready to be their starting quarterback.
The Tennessee Titans swapped the face of their franchise and a fan favorite for what is believed to be a fourth-round pick in next spring's draft.
The former league MVP was set to be introduced this afternoon as the prime quarterback Baltimore has sought throughout its 10-year existence if he passed a physical administered Wednesday night. Failure was doubtful because he is coming off perhaps the healthiest of his 11 seasons.
A strained right pectoral kept McNair out of Tennessee's regular-season finale, and the reason Tennessee wanted him to take a new physical before working out with them again. But Ravens coach Brian Billick, needing McNair to pass the physical to complete the trade, had no such worries.
"As I understand it, he was cleared to play in the Pro Bowl," Billick said. "That one, I'll leave it to a higher pay grade than me to figure out how someone can fail an exit physical but be cleared to play in the Pro Bowl. I'm a little confused about that myself."
McNair missed two games in 2005 after missing eight in 2004 and needing surgery to repair his aching sternum. McNair was left home on a road trip to Arizona to avoid aggravating his back on the long flight because he had a discectomy in 1999, and he strained his pectoral muscle at the end of the season.
McNair, who turned 33 in February, was Tennessee's winningest quarterback in franchise history. In 11 seasons, he went 81-59 and shared the MVP award with Peyton Manning three years ago.
He's one of only four players in NFL history with 150 touchdowns passing and 35 rushing, trailing only Steve Young, Randall Cunningham and Steve Grogan. He's one of five with 25,000 yards passing and 3,000 yards rushing, a group that includes John Elway, Fran Tarkenton, Young and Randall Cunningham.
