Official Update On Steve Smith Sr.'s Injury

Posted Oct 3, 2015

The trip to Pittsburgh Thursday night continues to take a toll on the Ravens.

After wide receiver Michael Campanaro was placed on injured reserve Saturday morning with a back injury, a series of reports broke Saturday morning saying that Smith had suffered four broken bones in his back or ribs.

The team issued a statement from Sr. Vice President of Public and Community Relations Kevin Byrne about Smith’s status.

"While the Ravens do not give specifics about injuries out of respect to the men on our team and HIPAA laws, we want to dispel rumors and stories currently being reported about Steve Smith Sr.'s injury,” the statement read. “He does have a back injury. It is not a surgical issue. His status is currently week-to-week."

Smith didn’t give any indication as to how long he’d be out when he talked with reporters after the game.

“It’s probably the first time in my career I feel like I’m 36,” Smith said. “I’m trying to get through tomorrow. I’m trying to make it to the airplane.”

Losing Smith for any period of time would be a considerable blow to the offense. He has been far-and-away Baltimore’s biggest playmaker, racking up 29 catches for 373 yards and three touchdowns. He’s currently third in the NFL in receiving yards.

No other Ravens receiver even has half that production.

If Smith is sidelined for any games, then Kamar Aiken and Marlon Brown would likely step into the starting lineup. The Ravens also made a trade with the Rams Saturday morning for wide receiver Chris Givens, and he could put himself into the starting equation as well. First-round pick Breshad Perriman could also start when he returns, but it’s unclear when that will be after he had a scope procedure last week on his knee.

UPDATE: In the CSN video below, Head Coach John Harbaugh ruled Smith out for the Week 5 contest against the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 11.

“I think he’s going to be OK in the long run,” Harbaugh told CSN's Lou Holder during Saturday’s Maryland-Michigan game. “He’s got some small microfractures in his back (from) what I’ve been told. They ruled him out for the Cleveland game. But after that, hopefully he’s going to be back.”

The injuries to Smith and Campanaro spurred the Ravens to make the trade for Givens.

“We’re happy to have him, Harbaugh said of Givens. “He’s going to help us. Good speed guy, got a lot of talent. We’re always looking for more weapons.”