A devastating injury was certainly not the way Steve Smith Sr. was envisioning going out his final season in the NFL. On Sunday, he suffered a season-ending injury and many are now wondering if this is the way he will bow out.
Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh announced Sunday that Smith tore his Achilles and would miss the rest of the year; the year that was supposed to be his final in the league.
The injury happened in the third quarter when the wide receiver caught a pass. After he was brought down he grabbed his right leg and had to be helped off the field.
Smith, 36, spent most of his 15-year career with the Carolina Panthers before joining the Ravens in 2014. The veteran wideout had become a reliable target for quarterback Joe Flacco and recorded 79 catches for 1,065 yards and six touchdowns last year. This season he had 41 receptions for 588 yards and three touchdowns, Pro-Football-Reference.com noted.
Even though he said many times that he was hanging up his cleats for good after this season he may want come back instead of going out this way. Harbaugh seems to think that will be the case.
"I have a feeling Steve Smith will be back," the head coach said after his team defeated the San Diego Chargers. “I'm looking forward to seeing how this story ends."