Steve Smith Injury: Updates on Ravens Star's Recovery from Achilles Surgery

Scott PolacekJun 12, 2016

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. is working his way back from Achilles surgery as the 2016 NFL season approaches.

Continue for updates.

Smith Doesn't Know When He Will Return

Sunday, June 12

The 37-year-old only played seven games last year before an Achilles tear ended his season. According to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, Smith "hasn't participated in any offseason workouts" and "declined to give a timetable on his return."

Smith said, "I don't know when I'm coming back. I just know I have to be able to do something in training camp to be able to play for the season. That's just the way I operate. I can't go from doing absolutely nothing [and] sitting on my butt for all of training camp and then go out there and play."

Hensley did note "the Ravens are banking on his return, especially with wide receiver Breshad Perriman facing a potentially season-ending injury." Perriman suffered a partial ACL tear in his left knee this offseason.

When healthy, Smith has defied age for the Ravens. He tallied 670 receiving yards and three touchdown catches before the injury in 2015 and posted 1,065 receiving yards the season before during a full 16-game effort. He also has eight different seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards as a potential future Hall of Famer.

The Ravens do have other wide receivers who can help shoulder the load if Smith and Perriman are not ready at the start of the season.

Kamar Aiken filled the void in 2015 for Smith and finished with a team-high 944 receiving yards and five touchdown catches. He can beat defenders downfield and open up the offense for the rest of the Baltimore weapons.

Elsewhere, the Ravens brought Mike Wallace aboard this offseason after he finished with a disappointing 473 receiving yards for the Minnesota Vikings in 2015. He does have a proven track record in his career with two seasons of more than 1,100 yards and five straight with more than 800 prior to last year.

While Aiken and Wallace give Baltimore some options in the passing attack even without Smith, its offense is much more dangerous when the veteran is on the field.