Dennis Pitta Injury: Updates on Ravens TE's Hip and Recovery | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Carter Sullivan After missing the entire 2015 campaign due to a hip injury, Baltimore Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta will reportedly attempt to return to action in 2016.
Continue for updates.
Latest on Pitta's Decision to Resume Playing Career
Tuesday, April 12
According to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports 1, the 30-year-old veteran made the decision to continue playing after meeting with his doctors.
While Pitta is hoping to play next season, he must first be cleared to do so by the Ravens, per Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun:
Jeff Zrebiec @jeffzrebiecsunRavens officials, including team doctors, also will have to be comfortable with him being on field. They were not last year.
ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley added that the idea is for Pitta to be ready for full contact at training camp in July.
The former BYU standout fractured his hip in 2013 before dislocating it in 2014. He has played in just seven games since the start of the 2013 campaign, and his spot on Baltimore's roster is nowhere near certain even if he does prove to be healthy.
According to Luke Jones of WNST.net, Pitta was set to earn a significant salary assuming his comeback attempt is successful:
Luke Jones @BaltimoreLukeDennis Pitta is scheduled to make a $5 million base salary for 2016, which isn't guaranteed. That's a significant issue. #Ravens
However, Zrebiec reported Pitta and the team agreed to a restructured contract, which the tight end will sign "as early as today." Ian Rapoport of NFL Network also noted Pitta agreed to take a pay cut with incentives.
Baltimore selected tight end Maxx Williams in the second round of last year's draft and signed Ben Watson in free agency this offseason. Also, Crockett Gillmore was the team's leading pass-catcher at tight end last season, and he remains on the roster.
Pitta appeared well on his way to becoming a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end in 2012 when he set career highs with 61 receptions for 669 yards and seven touchdowns as one of quarterback Joe Flacco's favorite targets.
The 2010 fourth-round pick is undoubtedly an asset when healthy, but Baltimore's depth at tight end could force him to continue his NFL career elsewhere.
A return to action is far from guaranteed, though, and it it is entirely possible that Pitta's body can no longer stand up to the rigors of NFL football after suffering two significant, career-threatening injuries in recent years.
