Tight end Dennis Pitta and Safety Terrence Brooks will start season on PUP list

Everyone expected that tight end Dennis Pitta would be heading to the PUP or Physically Unable to Perform list at the start of the season, so there should be no shock or outrage there. Terrence Brooks will be joining him it seems, in sitting out the first 6 games per the designation's requirements.

Brooks was picking up the defense quickly last season before an MCL and ACL tear ruined his season in week 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was on the field during OTAs and minicamp, which was an encouraging sign and is noted to be "ahead of schedule". Head coach John Harbaugh said that he had no real timetable on Brooks' return.

"Terrence Brooks is doing really well," Head Coach John Harbaugh said during the first week of OTAs. "No predictions right now, but he looks good. He has worked hard."

The injury to Brooks' knee seems to have sparked a whole new player as he mentioned it has enhanced his work ethic and given him a better perspective on how tough the NFL really is.

I’ve learned not to take it for granted. It could be gone at any second. I needed to study more. It kind of got me out of whack not studying as much as I should have been. Now I see, after talking to the vets and guys who played here before, studying and film work is probably 60 percent of it. The rest is you going out and making plays.

Now when I’m on the field, it’s straight business, no mercy. [The injury] definitely changed my mindset.

For Pitta, the move was not unexpected, but still has all the signs of being the end of his career. In talking with Dr Bobby, he gave us a pretty bleak picture of Pitta's situation by saying that he could "see Pitta retiring before Ozzie Newsome would have to cut him."

However, putting Pitta on the PUP list does not rule out a return this season for the tight end. He was showing off at OTAs and minicamp by running routes, jumping around and catching passes out on the field. Pitta also has some hope for this season on coming back and being productive for the Baltimore Ravens.

"Hopefully, I will be on the field this year," Pitta told BYU Sports Nation last week. "It’s still a little bit up in the air. I feel pretty good physically. But I’m kind of at the whim of the doctors whether or not they give me the go-ahead to play. Hopefully it works out and I can be back out there."

Best of luck to both Brooks and Pitta on their injury rehab and making a potential return to action this season.