Baltimore Ravens Injury, Roster News: Dennis Pitta Follows Doctors' Advice, Won't Be Playing This Season
Dennis Pitta eventually took the advice of his doctors, deciding to not play this season after the tight end for the Ravens went for two major hip operations, although the veteran player did not disclose or say if he is contemplating on walking away from the sport for good.
Because of this new development, he will no longer be activated from the physical unable to perform (PUP) list, owing to the hip injury. The team announced the decision on Wednesday amid rumors that the 30-year-old from BYU is no longer capable of making a return.
According to Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, it was the doctors who told Pitta that it no longer is safe for him to play with the primary basis of having a type of hip injury that is recurring in nature. Even though he has undergone two major surgeries to fix it, it is still unclear and uncertain if his body can sustain the physical nature of the sport.
The last time he played was on Week 3 of last season. He hasn't been on the field for quite some time now due to a dislocated hip, which happened twice already in under two years.
While he's been consistently present at team facilities and practices since Oct. 21, he has been limited to non-contact practice so as to make incremental progress.
He said that in the event that his body does not anymore allow him from playing this year, it means that might just consider the thought of retiring. Later on Wednesday though, he changed his tone and said he does not have plan to retire.
Although Pitta was selected by the Baltimore Ravens deep in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft, he has proven time and time again that he deserved to play in the NFL. In his career, he produced 1,386 yards on 138 receptions in just under 50 games.
