As ESPN insider Chris Mortensen initially reported last night, Steve McNair was asked to leave the Titans' training facility when he reported Monday for offseason workouts, his agent and team sources confirmed.

McNair was told by a team trainer that he would not be allowed to work out until his contract situation is resolved, James "Bus" Cook, who represents McNair, told Mortensen.

"Steve was told that until he got his contract straightened out, he wasn't welcome at the facility," said Cook. "Heck, he's got his contract already straightened out and now he's trying to fulfill it by reporting for the offseason."

Cook went on to say there had been no warning of the team's position. Titans sources told Mortensen it was a decision was made by owner Bud Adams, who apparently fears that an offseason injury would make him liable for McNair's current contract.

Cook agreed with that assessment.

"I am sure it came from higher-up," Cook said in reference to Adams. "They told him they apparently they didn't want him to get hurt. They told me they didn't want him working out until he got his contract sorted out, but he's got a contract."

And the agent is not a happy camper.

"A month ago they say he needs to be there to get familiar with the young guys, and now they tell him to get out? I have never seen anything like that in my life," Cook told Nashville Tennessean staffer Jim Wyatt last night.

"I am shocked really. I thought it was an April Fools joke. They can sugarcoat it any way they want to, but when you throw your starting quarterback off the property, an MVP, Pro Bowl guy who led them to the Super Bowl and one of the greatest players in the history of the team. ...

"To just to throw him out? After this, I don't think Steve would want to go back any more."

McNair is scheduled to make $10 million in 2006, including a $1 million team penalty because the Titans declined to exercise a three-year option. His salary cap charge is almost $24 million, and the team is trying to get McNair to restructure his deal.

It has been speculated that the team could release the quarterback if there is not a new contract in place in the near future.

Not surprisingly, Cook was quick to point out that his client wasn't to blame for the high cap number.

"The reason his cap number is $24 million is because they kept asking him to restructure every year to create space," Cook said. "This guy has done everything for the team, and he has two or three really good years left. Now, they treat him like this."

According to both Wyatt and Mortensen, Titans general manager Floyd Reese could not be reached for comment Monday night from Los Angeles, where the team worked out USC quarterback Matt Leinart.

Adding to the intrigue, head coach Jeff Fisher, also in LA, said he didn't know anything about the matter until Monday.

"This was out of my hands," Fisher told Nashville City Paper staff reporter Terry McCormick. "I did not find out about it until [Monday]. I'll get involved as soon as I get back in town [today]. I'm hopeful that [Reese] and [Cook] can somehow get the contract renegotiated."

Asking a player whose contract situation is tenuous not to take part in workouts is not unprecedented. If a player is injured during off-season work, a team can be liable for the player's salary.

Former Titans backup quarterback Neil O'Donnell was in a similar situation with the New York Jets, and told McCormick that this move by the Titans could signal the end for McNair in Tennessee.

"I went through the same thing in 1997 with the Jets," O'Donnell said. "I was working out at the facility every day, just like Steve. [Bill] Parcells wanted me to take a $2 million pay cut. When I refused, Parcells told me not to come back to the facility until they told me to. And they released me.

"For Steve, I think this means to either redo your deal, or you're gone."

Cook, however, believes the team's actions fall outside the rules.

"Steve is under contract, and if they're afraid he's going to get hurt, then they need to ask the rest of them to leave, too," Cook told McCormick. "He has a contract, and as far as I'm concerned, this is a breach of that contract."

Cook went on to say that McNair will probably work out on his own elsewhere, but may be open to taking part in organized workouts at team headquarters if asked to do so.

Last week McNair told the Tennessean he hopes to retire a Titan, but wasn't sure how things were going to work out.

"This is a business and I've always said I'll never take it personal," he said. "Anything that happens with the contract they can talk to Bus and not me. I don't want to get involved in that.

"I don't know what is going to happen with the numbers. If they don't fit, they don't fit. If they can do the cap number and sign me back and sign an extension that would be great -- I would love to end my career with the Titans. But I will play next year regardless."

The chances he'll get his wish and close things out in Tennessee now seem slim indeed. As Profootballtalk.com editor Mike Florio put it this morning: "Good luck, Titans, getting McNair to reduce his salary now. It's just a matter of time before the former Alcorn State star is looking for a new home."

It's safe to assume the Ravens are watching these developments closely.

A number of reports out of Baltimore in recent weeks have hinted the Ravens' reluctance to quickly secure the services of a veteran -- like Kerry Collins -- to compete with Kyle Boller for the starting job has been due to their interest in waiting to see what happened with McNair's contract.

We can now consider that door ajar.

And if the Ravens land McNair, that above-mentioned competition for the starting spot would likely be rendered moot. Baltimore Sun staffer Jamison Hensley suggested last month that -- unlike the other quarterbacks available in free agency -- McNair would be the undisputed starter over Boller.

In 14 games last season, McNair completed 292 of 476 passes for 3,161 yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He missed two games with injuries.

Boller had the two best games of his career in the final month of the season, but as the Sports Xchange recently noted, he has struggled more times than he has succeeded and team officials have declined to name him their 2006 starter until they had a better feel for the overall situation at the position. ...

Getting back to the Titans. ... Wyatt reports that after watching him go through the paces at Sunday's USC Pro Day, the Titans used Monday to learn more about Leinart in a private setting.

They spent three hours watching film and going over plays with him on the chalkboard in a meeting room on the USC campus. Then they headed to the same practice field where on Sunday Leinart showed his arm strength and mobility to NFL scouts.

Sunday's workout was designed by Leinart's representatives, but yesterday the Titans were in charge.

"We did some different routes, some things on the move," Fisher said. "We did a lot more footwork stuff, more deep balls and touch passes. I'd have to say we were very impressed with everything that took place today."

The day ended at dinner with Reese, Fisher and Leinart, as well as the player's mother, father and brother.

The Titans have the No. 3 overall pick in the April 29-30 NFL Draft and are expected to take a quarterback -- Leinart, Vince Young of Texas or Jay Cutler of Vanderbilt. The Titans have now spent extensive time with all three, and aren't done yet.

Just as they did with Young during his private workout last month in Austin, Texas, Wyatt reports the Titans had a planeload here to see and meet with Leinart.

Director of player personnel Rich Snead, offensive coordinator Norm Chow, quarterbacks coach Craig Johnson and receivers coach Ray Sherman were on hand in addition to Reese and Fisher.Also arriving for yesterday's workout were Titans wide receivers Courtney Roby, Bobby Wade, Sloan Thomas and Grant Mattos.

According to Wyatt, the Titans flooded Leinart with questions about protections and progressions, and asked him to use the chalkboard to explain how he'd handle various situations. They watched tape of his Rose Bowl loss to Texas and quizzed him on scenarios in that game.

"He obviously knows their offense," Reese said.

As for the practice field, all indications were that Leinart threw better Monday than he did on Sunday. The Titans asked him to make more throws on the run and complete throws on some routes he didn't execute on Sunday, when he drew mixed reviews.

Roby, who also caught passes from Young during his private workout for the Titans, said Leinart was impressive.

"They both did an outstanding job in my opinion," Roby said. "[Leinart] put the ball where it needed to be placed and they were very catchable balls. From a receiver's standpoint, that is the thing that you look for. I don't really get into the hype with the arm strength and things like that, but from a player's standpoint he did a good job."

The Titans didn't ask Leinart to run the 40-yard dash, something he opted not to do at the combine or his Pro Day.

"We've seen enough of him to know that movement is not going to be an issue," Reese said. "If you watch film you see him move very efficiently and effectively in the pocket. He has good feet and can move around. He is not a big, slow guy. He is a big guy and he has good feet."

The same group of Titans receivers is expected to catch passes from Cutler in the next couple of weeks. Reese said the Titans plan to have Leinart and Young visit team headquarters soon as well.

Wyatt added that with the draft less than a month away, the Titans still have more homework to do on all three players. But plenty of their questions have been answered.

"I can say this," Fisher told Wyatt. "All three are going to be fine quarterbacks in this league."

And depending on how McNair's situation is resolved, one of those youngsters might be in position to prove it coming right out of the chute.

As always, those interested will find all the latest developments in the New & Views section of the site. I'll also have more in-depth reports on the situation here in the Headline News section as circumstances dictate.