Dennis Pitta Injury: Ravens tight end heads to injured reserve, likely ends career

With the final decision to end Dennis Pitta's season, we have likely seen the end of Dennis Pitta as a player.

After dislocating and fracturing his hip for the second time early in the 2014 season, Pitta underwent an extensive rehabilitation process to get him back on track to playing again. With his doctors being unwilling to give his hip a passing grade and clearing him for full action, the Ravens have pushed the 30-year old tight end to injured reserve.

We mentioned it earlier in the week, but Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta and the Ravens organization were going to have to make a decision on Pitta's season by Wednesday at the latest. After having been activated from the PUP (physically unable to perform) list for the last 3 weeks, the league deadline for the Ravens to make a move was Wednesday. He either needs to be put on the 53-man roster, or put on injured reserve, ending his season.

Dennis Pitta has been candid about this season being the one where he needs to make a decision one way or another. If he couldn't go this season, little would likely change by next season, and keeping the Ravens on a holding pattern is unfair to the team as well as to Pitta and his own family. Seriously, I couldn't imagine the stress on his family or even the Ravens executives every day that he suits up and practices.

I would like to think that if I can’t make it back this year, then what’s going to change next year? For me, in my mind, it’s kind of [like] I’m working to get back this year, and if I can’t, then that might be it. But that’s certainly undecided. I don’t really know how to answer.

She’s [Dennis Pitta's wife] not really excited about me being out here. She was nervous last night and just didn’t want to get a call that something went wrong today. Like I said, she supports me in everything that I’m doing, and I’m lucky to have her.

The Pro Bowl caliber player likely ends his career at the age of 30, having one a single Super Bowl. He ends with 1,369 yards on 138 receptions over 5 seasons (really only 3 due to his hip injuries). While not the most productive member of the team, fans will remember Pitta as being a true Raven. We all here at Baltimore Beatdown wish Pitta a happy rest of his life and hope to see him around the team in some capacity.

*Note: I ask that no one puts any GIFs or images of Pitta's injury. I purposefully left them out of the story as we should all remember the touchdowns and the catches instead.