OT: Ravens WR Steve Smith Sr. says he's probably retiring after 16 seasons

[Soul_Survivor88]

Ravens' Smith '89 percent sure' he's retiring

Pressed about his future, Smith said, "I'm trying to get to Sunday without crying like a little kid."

A five-time Pro Bowl player, Smith has been defined by his fiery competitiveness, sharp wit and flashy style. He talked about his likely retirement Wednesday while wearing a Darth Vader costume.

Smith acknowledged that leaving the game will be extremely tough. He previously announced his retirement before last season, but he decided to return this season after rupturing his Achilles in the middle of the 2015 season.

Entering Sunday's game at Cincinnati, Smith spoke like a player coming to terms with the end of a remarkable career.

"There will be mourning. There will be a lot of emotions," Smith said. "Also, there are a lot of other things I can grasp on that you can't take away. That I can hold on to. Whether you want to or not, you're going to move on. That's part of life."

Playing larger than his 5-foot-9 frame, Smith is one of two players in NFL history to eclipse 13,000 receiving yards and 4,000 return yards. (Hall of Fame receiver Tim Brown is the other.) Smith currently ranks 12th in league history in receptions (1,028), seventh in receiving yards (14,697) and 25th in touchdown catches (81).

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Great player. My general rule is to even be considered, you should at least for a number of years get an undisputed mention when knowlwdgeable people list the best players at their position. Perhaps the rule of fingers/thumb should apply, that you should be clearly in the top 5. I cannot recall a time in Smith's career when he would obviously be listed as a top-5 wide receiver. His cumulative stats are impressive, but I don't think he was dominant enough to be a Hall of Fame player. I'm sure many will disagree.

 

[AtomicDawg]

Ice up, son.

 

[oldrover]

Great player. Dude should have signed with NE. He'd be retiring with a ring... maybe more than one.

 

[Fixit]

I'm sure he'll still manage to bless the world with that sunny disposition of his.

 

[Brandon_Cox]

He's one tough sum*****

 

[TinhWoodhead]

he should sign with an nhl team

 

[BobDigital]

Yes he should. Why? He has longevity and greatness as well as a gamer who was more than his stats (unlike a guy like Marvin Harrison who while great was less than his stats).

He lead the league in yards and TDs in 2005 and YPG in 2008 (would have lead in total yards if not injured IMO). He had several great years without top QB play in Carolina.

Also in the playoffs in the biggest games he did some of his best work. This shows he didn't just beat up on trash teams. However his stats alone don't get him in. He is a guy you had to watch play to know he has that little extra thing that puts him over the top. He has that intangible thing that gets him in when he is one of those right on the line guys form the numbers and talent and longevity perspective.

He should need to wait a few ballets but he should get in.

 

[bormio]

I'm sure he'll still manage to bless the world with that sunny disposition of his.

Never one to back down for sure. Made himself into a great player - the fire inside drove him to be better than most ever thought he would be. Football HOF easier to get into than the Baseball HOF - so probably belongs.

 

[Deus Irae]

 

[BobDigital]

Also I will look at WRs in the same era.

Marin Harrison, Andre Johnson, Larry Fitz, Reggie Wayne, Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, Anquan Bolden, Issac Bruce, Torrey Holt, Calvin Johnson.

These guys are around the same era and comparable. Who do I think belongs in the HOF?

Harrison is in though IDK how i feel about that... his playoff let down is a HUGE red flag and personally I would not have let him in due to how ineffective he was in those games. After all the whole point is to win a championship and though he helped his team get to the post season in those key games he generally always was a non-factor.

I would put in Fitz, Moss, C. Johnson and Smith.

Reggie, Holt, Bruce, Bolden and Owens don't get in for me. I am sure plenty will disagree but that is how i see this crop. A few of those guys have more talent than Smith but either less fight or leadership ability are key swing factors for me.

Andrea Johnson IDK how i feel about when it comes to this.

 

[captain stone]

Buh-bye Stevie. One less perpetually-angry player in the league is fine by me.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Steve Smith is an interesting cat.

One minute I think hes a punk

The next minute I think hes a bad-ass

The next minute I have a lot of respect for him.

Saw this video of him coaching teenagers on how to work hard and ignore the bad stuff and make good decisions in life. Cited his own experiences as things not to do.

 

[bormio]

There is a video of him teaching youngsters where one of them tells Smith his favorite team is the Pats. Smith responds with the "watcha talkin' bout, Willis" look. Hilarious.

 

[Patjew]

One of my fav non-Pats evah. Tough, clutch dude.

 

[condon84]

Would have been awesome as Patriot. Would have been the equivalent of a Rodney Harrison but on offense. Too bad Ozzie and Harbaugh didn't let him leave when he went to go visit them when he became a free agent. He had scheduled a visit to Foxborough after that Bmore trip. I'm sure Belichick would have sold him playing with Brady.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Would have been awesome as Patriot. Would have been the equivalent of a Rodney Harrison but on offense. Too bad Ozzie and Harbaugh didn't let him leave when he went to go visit them when he became a free agent. He had scheduled a visit to Foxborough after that Bmore trip. I'm sure Belichick would have sold him playing with Brady.

Had the situations been reversed, you can be sure that Harbaugh would decry the tactics in a presser, citing "unwritten rules."

 

[Froob]

Rather have him than Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison. Smith is a big time gamer, Marvin goes Danny Phantom in the playoffs.

 

[Jackson 2]

As time went on, my grudging admiration grew exponentially. Respect is well deserved.

 

[BritPat]

Smith is a pretty easy pick for the HoF, at least through my non-expert eyes.

A great player who has produced despite having mostly God-awful QB's. He's played a ton on the outside too, where it's easy for small receivers to get boxed out.

A man of unbelievable determination and worth ethic.