Steve McNair Retires – Fantasy Impact

After 13 grueling and hard fought seasons, Steve McNair has decided to retire. McNair, who was expected to enter the season as the Baltimore Ravens’ starting quarterback, said his body told him it was time to hang it up. McNair had a great career, including a near Super Bowl victory in 1999.

How will the Ravens move on with McNair now out of the picture? In the fantasy world, McNair retiring doesn’t have a huge impact. McNair wasn’t really a fantasy option at quarterback any longer – especially in the offensively challenged Ravens lineup. Truthfully, McNair was always a better real life quarterback than he was a fantasy quarterback.

For the Ravens, the job now falls to either Kyle Boller or Troy Smith. Boller has had plenty of chances to win the job and he’ll get another chance this season. Boller has decent enough skills but just hasn’t been able to string together enough quality games to keep the job on a long-term basis. Smith was a rookie last year who was coming off of a star-studded career at Ohio State. While Smith doesn’t have great size for an NFL quarterback, he has enough skill and enough toughness to be a candidate for the starting role.

Another option for the Ravens is to draft a quarterback in the 2008 NFL Draft – most namely Matt Ryan. While Ryan might not be available at number eight in the first round where the Ravens will pick, his selection by Baltimore now makes much more sense.

However, no matter who the quarterback is next year for the Ravens, whether it be Boller, Smith or a rookie like Ryan, stay away from this mess. Until the Ravens prove they can move the ball well offensively, it is best to take a wait and see approach.

Watch this video of Steve McNair Super Bowl highlights: