Steve McNair, out of practice Wednesday, wears a protective boot on his sprained left foot. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Steve McNair watched practice Wednesday with a boot on his sprained left foot, and the decision on whether the Tennessee Titans quarterback starts Sunday against the Bengals likely won't be made until just before kickoff.

        McNair sprained both his left knee and ankle when he was sandwiched between two Philadelphia defenders last week, which left him on crutches Monday. The crutches were gone Wednesday with just the boot protecting his left foot, and he said the ankle remains sore even though the swelling has subsided.

        “That's a plus for me. Hopefully, we can continue to get some of the soreness out every day this week. It's feeling pretty good at this point in time,” McNair said.

        Coach Jeff Fisher doesn't expect McNair to practice Thursday or Friday and whether he starts will depend on how he feels when testing the ankle in pregame warmups.

        Backup Neil O'Donnell and third-string quarterback Billy Volek took all the work in practice, and McNair said not practicing isn't the problem it used to be four years ago. Preparing to play the Bengals (3-10), a team he has a 6-1 record against as a starter, makes playing without practice even easier.

        Neither the Bengals' hapless record nor the fact that the Titans can clinch a playoff berth with a victory Sunday will be the deciding factors over whether McNair plays.

        “If I can play, I'm going to play. That's my objective,” McNair said. “On any given Sunday regardless of who you play, you can get beat. We've got to prepare like we've been preparing the last three-four weeks. We're not looking ahead or thinking about anything other than Cincinnati.”

        The injury is the latest for McNair who started the season healthier than he had been in a couple years.

        He bruised his sternum when hit in the chest by a helmet while scrambling against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he had a bye week to heal up and missed only one start. His current injury came while standing in the pocket as a defender rolled up his left leg.

        At the time, McNair thought he might have been hurt badly enough to end his season or his career. He was relieved to learn Monday that he had not injured any ligaments and only had to deal with the soreness and swelling.

        “Now you know why I scramble a lot,” he said with a smile.

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