Ravens veteran wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. suffered an Achilles injury in the third quarter of Sunday's 29-26 win against the Chargers and is done for the rest of the season – and perhaps career.
Smith was tackled at the end of a 17-yard gain and was in obvious pain immediately. He grabbed for his right Achilles and pounded the turf in pain or frustration.
Smith was carried off the field by trainers with a towel over his head.
"What hurts the most is that I can't be out there with my guys," Smith said in a statement after the game. "We had a great team win today, and that's really all that counts."
Before the year began, Smith announced this would be his final season, leaving questions as to whether this will be the end of his amazing 15-year career.
The 36-year-old wideout moved into 10th all-time in career receiving yards earlier in the game, surpassing Hall of Famer Cris Carter (13,907 yards).
Smith was having yet another big game. When he left late in the third quarter, he already had five catches for 82 yards, including a beautiful leaping 46-yard catch with cornerback Jason Verrett draped all over him.
It's been a painful year for Smith. He suffered microfractures in his back in Pittsburgh in Week 4, yet that kept him out just one game. Smith reportedly tweaked his knee in practice this week, which limited him one day in practice.
For the season, Smith has 46 receptions for 670 yards and three touchdowns, making him one of the NFL's leaders.
