Clinton Portis Will Be Placed on Injured Reserve; Keiland Williams Likely Starter

Clinton Portis' 2010 season and his seven-year career as Washington's No. 1 running back could be over. Portis will be placed on injured reserve by the Redskins after re-injuring the groin last Sunday at Tennessee that had sidelined him during the previous five games.

By the end of the year, Portis will have missed 19 of Washington's last 32 games with a concussion (the final eight games of 2009) and the groin. He'll be 30 before the start of the 2011 season and hasn't really produced like a No. 1 back since Week 12 of 2008. Portis ran for 1,206 yards and seven touchdowns on 244 carries in the first 11 games of that year. In his 18 games since, he produced just 1,002 yards and five touchdowns in 276 carries. He's due to earn $8.25 million in 2011.

During his weekly radio appearance yesterday, Portis was optimistic about getting back on the field soon, saying that an MRI taken since the Tennessee game had only shown some swelling and not a further tear like the one he suffered in Week 4 against Philadelphia.

However, even though No. 2 back Ryan Torain is "a long shot" to play Sunday against Minnesota because of a lingering hamstring injury according to Washington coach Mike Shanahan, the 5-5 Redskins declined to wait for Portis to heal. Rookie free agent Keiland Williams, who started in Week 10 and who took over when Portis went down in the first half last week, would start for Washington.

James Davis, just promoted from the practice squad, would be the backup. The Redskins could also use fullbacks Mike Sellers or Darrel Young if absolutely necessary.

If this is the end for Portis in Washington, he finishes 648 yards shy of Hall of Famer John Riggins' franchise record of 7,472 rushing yards. His 47 rushing touchdowns are second to Riggins' 79. Portis is also just 77 yards of becoming the 25th player in NFL history with 10,000 rushing yards, and is two rushing touchdowns shy of equaling Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett for 20th all-time with 77.

Only Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Barry Sanders and Walter Payton, Canton lock Marshall Faulk and fellow active backs LaDainian Tomlinson and Steven Jackson average more yards from scrimmage per game than Portis' 105.7. Only Tomlinson and Fred Taylor have more rushing yards among active backs and only Tomlinson has more rushing touchdowns.