Ravens receiver Steve Smith tore his Achilles during Sunday's game, forcing him to miss the rest of this season — which was supposed to be the last of his career.
Smith has said multiple times he planned to retire following this season, which means Sunday's injury would be the last time he suited up. But Smith doesn't want to go out this way, and is strongly considering a comeback, according to CBS Sports.
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He will undergo Achilles surgery next Monday, which is a strong indication he's at least thinking about coming back to football. The fact he's scheduled a surgery so soon would allow for a quicker rehab process and a fast return.
According to CBS, it "would be a big surprise to those who know him best if he did not return to the game." This was echoed by Ravens coach John Harbaugh on Sunday when he made the injury announcement.
"I have a feeling Steve Smith will be back," he said. "I love him, respect him, admire him. I told him that. That's the kind of man he is. And, he'll be back."
Smith was having an incredible season before his injury. He's seventh in receiving yards per game (95.7) and 11th in receptions. He also passed Cris Carter on Sunday to place 10th all-time on the career receiving yards list with 13,932.
If he does plan to return, and he doesn't need to make an official decision for a while, he'll have a tough road ahead. An Achilles injury is one of the toughest to recover from, especially for a 36-year-old wideout. But if anyone is going to do it, it'd be someone as tough as Smith.
