OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Releasing tight end Dennis Pitta on Wednesday was an inevitable decision for the Baltimore Ravens. It just wasn't an easy one.
Pitta will be remembered as one of the franchise's best tight ends and someone with a relentless will to play the game he loves.
His clutch plays in the red zone and on third downs helped the Ravens win a Super Bowl in 2013. His determination after two hip surgeries led to a remarkable season last year.
"Dennis is one of the great Ravens," general manager Ozzie Newsome said, "and he has done everything he can to make our team better."
Pitta was at the top of his game five seasons ago in the playoffs, when he caught 14 passes for 163 yards and three touchdowns in Baltimore's championship run. He delivered one of the most underrated plays of that postseason, converting a third-and-13 in overtime in the divisional-round upset of the Denver Broncos. During Super Bowl XLVII, he scored Baltimore's second touchdown, a 1-yard grab on a play-action pass, in its triumph over the San Francisco 49ers.
His dependable play earned him a five-year, $32 million contract, which included $16 million guaranteed. It also earned him the nickname "American Express." As linebacker Terrell Suggs explained, "He’s everywhere you want him to be." (Technically, that's the slogan for Visa.)
Five months after hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, Pitta would begin the most challenging stretch of his career. In July 2013, he dislocated his right hip for the first time in a collision with teammate James Ihedigbo while vying for a pass from Joe Flacco. In September 2014, he hurt the hip again in a game at Cleveland, when he fell to the ground without being hit.
Pitta didn’t even play in 2015, causing many to believe his career was over. There were doctors, friends and family members who discouraged Pitta from returning to football.
So for him to play his first full season since 2012 was an accomplishment by itself. What made Pitta’s comeback in 2016 more amazing was that he led all NFL tight ends with a career-best 86 catches.
That's why Pitta's latest hip injury was so crushing to the organization. While it can't be considered surprising -- he had dislocated his hip for the third time in five years -- it was devastating news because of his hard work in this journey and what he means to the franchise.
Pitta had become one of the leading voices on offense. Last year, he was the most outspoken player after the firing of Marc Trestman as offensive coordinator. "I think it’s something that this offense needed," Pitta said at the time. "We were kind of in a bad place."
He had one of the sharpest wits on the team. After suffering his first injury, he added "hip specialist" to his Twitter profile. He also joked that Brandon Williams owed him after he took a pay cut and the nose tackle signed a big-money deal.
Pitta proved how much he wanted to play for the Ravens. He agreed to take a $2.5 million pay cut this offseason, just months removed from setting a single-season team record for catches by a tight end.
The Ravens selected Pitta in the fourth round of the 2010 draft, using one of the three picks acquired from the Broncos (who moved up in the first round to nab Tim Tebow). It was a rocky start for Pitta, who finished his rookie season with more concussions (two) than receptions (one).
Pitta became more involved in the offense in his second season after tight end Todd Heap was released. By 2012, he was Baltimore's top tight end, taking a bigger role than Ed Dickson, who was drafted one round ahead of Pitta in 2010.
Pitta worked hard to become one of the top pass-catching tight ends in the NFL. He worked even harder to return to the game because he didn't want his career to end with him being carted off the field. Friday's hip injury will likely end his career, but it shouldn't overshadow what he accomplished in Baltimore.
It's unknown whether Pitta will be placed in the Ravens Ring of Honor. But there's no question he will always hold a special place in franchise history.
