Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, bringing an early end to the least productive and most frustrating season of his career.

Portis broke a bone in his right hand in Sunday's 27-3 loss at Philadelphia. He had surgery Monday and was expected to require three to four weeks of rehabilitation.

With the Redskins (3-6) in last place and harboring only slim hopes of making a playoff run, the team decided to give him time to heal completely rather than have him return this year.

Portis finishes with 523 yards on 127 carries. He had never rushed for fewer than 1,315 yards in his previous four NFL seasons. His only 100-yard game this year came against Jacksonville, when he ran for 112 yards on 27 carries.

The broken hand is Portis' fourth injury of the year. He partially dislocated his left shoulder making a tackle in the first pre-season game, then injured the shoulder again in the regular season opener against Minnesota. He also sprained an ankle in a loss to Tennessee.

Portis has missed only one game, but his carries and production were limited because of the injuries and because of the adjustment to a new offence.

To replace Portis on the roster, the Redskins signed tight end Brian Kozlowski. Kozlowski was also with the Redskins in 2004 and 2005, playing in 27 games.