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Former starting quarterback Chris Simms, who led Tampa Bay to a division title in 2005 but hasn't played in a regular-season game since undergoing surgery to remove his spleen more than a year ago, will be placed on injured reserve, ending his 2007 season and perhaps his tenure with the Buccaneers as well.

General manager Bruce Allen said Tuesday that the Bucs informed Simms of the move on Tuesday and will formalize it on Wednesday, when they are expected to sign a tailback to address their injury woes at that position.

Simms

"This is what we feel is the best move for Chris to regain his full strength," Allen said. "We've been very hopeful, as has Chris . . . that he would've recovered by now. It's just taking longer than both Chris and we had hoped for. We'll make another roster move to add a player on Wednesday."

Simms, 27, was battered in a game against Carolina on Sept. 24, 2006, and suffered internal injuries and bleeding in the contest. Just hours after the game, surgeons removed his spleen and he did not play again all season, ending the year on injured reserve.

The fifth-year veteran signed a new, two-year contract with the Bucs but lost his starting job to Jeff Garcia, who was signed as an unrestricted free agent in the spring. Simms struggled with his throwing mechanics and accuracy throughout training camp this summer, appearing in just one preseason game and registering only one pass attempt.

He has not played in any of the Bucs' five regular-season games.

There were rumors in training camp that Tampa Bay might release or trade Simms, but they elected to retain him and keep four quarterbacks on the roster. But with their running back depth chart thinned by season ending injuries to Mike Alstott and Cadillac Williams, and with Michael Pittman suffering an ankle injury last Sunday that could sideline him for up to two months, having four quarterbacks was a luxury the club could no longer afford.

Team officials auditioned four running backs on Tuesday and will likely sign one of them to bolster the position. Sources told ESPN.com that the back most likely to be signed by Tampa Bay is Lionel Gates, who was in camp with the Bucs this summer.

The Bucs have been active in efforts to acquire a veteran tailback via trade, and had offered Minnesota a sixth-round pick for backup Mewlede Moore, but been rebuffed.

By placing Simms on injured reserve, Tampa Bay will provide him time to fully recover from the surgery of a year ago and to perhaps work further on regaining his mechanics. Part of Allen's comments to the Tampa Bay area media on Tuesday were aimed at clarifying the status of Simms' health.

"There's a difference between your health and being able to play football, and playing at the level that Chris was playing before his surgery," Allen said. "Chris is doing everything he can to regain his full strength and will be working here every day. . . . We all know that Chris hasn't got what I refer to as his 'A' game back. Until he does, he's got to keep working towards that goal."

But even if Simms regains his accuracy and mechanics, there is some question about whether he still fits in with the team's plans. Coach Jon Gruden is clearly a Garcia advocate and pushed hard for the Bucs to sign him. It is believed that the relationship between Garcia and Simms has soured some and that the young quarterback might eventually benefit from a change of scenery.

Simms said during the summer that, if the Bucs did release him, he might simply sit out the entire 2007 season to work on his mechanics, and then return to the league in 2008.

Even before the injury, Simms struggled in the first three games of the 2006 season, and the Bucs lost all three. In those games, Simms threw just one touchdown pass but suffered seven interceptions. Still, the son of former New York Giants star quarterback Phil Simms is seen by many talent evaluators as a starting-caliber quarterback and a player still young enough to have a long and successful career.

For his career, Simms, a former University of Texas star chosen by Tampa Bay in the third round of the '03 draft, has completed 291 of 492 passes for 3,087 yards, with 12 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions. He has appeared in 19 games and started 15 of them.

Senior writer Len Pasquarelli covers the NFL for ESPN.com.