Ravens LB Lewis out for the year with triceps tear
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis has a complete triceps tear and is out for the season, coach John Harbaugh announced to reporters on Monday.
Lewis sat out the final few drives of Sunday's game 31-29 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
Lewis also missed four games last year with turf toe, but linebacker defensive end Terrell Suggs stepped into his place as the defensive leader.
This year is different because the Ravens' defense is hurting all over. Suggs has not yet returned from a hamstring injury and it was announced Monday that cornerback Lardarius Webb is out for the year with an ACL injury. Also, defensive lineman Haloti Ngata has battled a hamstring injury. He briefly left Sunday's game with an undisclosed injury but returned.
Lewis, 37, has been facing questions about his future as observers have speculated that he has slowed down and should be taken out of games on obvious passing situations.
He addressed that speculation after last season's AFC championship game loss to the New England Patriots.
"Every time you go through something like this, it has to drive you," Lewis said. "I truly believe that it is the only thing that makes people great. It's not the ones that's always winning that people remember. It's the ones that go through tough times. As a team, we have been through every up and down roller coaster through this journey, but for us to be here now, I'm hungry again. I'm thirsty again."
But his future playing career is definitely in doubt now because of this season-ending injury.
Lewis has been selected to the Pro Bowl 13 times, has 41.5 sacks, 31 interceptions and leads all current active players with 226 NFL starts.
