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SALT LAKE CITY — Dennis Pitta had huge expectation entering his fourth professional season with the Ravens, but those lofty aspirations will have to be put on hold as he suffered a fractured hip on Saturday and will be out for the season.
According to Aaron Wilson, beat reporter for the Baltimore Sun, Pitta entered surgery shortly after the injury to repair the fracture.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Pitta will miss the entire season.
The injury occurred during practice, when Joe Flacco threw a pass to the back of the end zone when Pitta and safety James Ihedigbo collided. Pitta stayed down for several minutes and had to be carted off the field.
(Pitta) was a very, very productive guy for us. He made a lot of big plays last year.
–Jim Caldwell, Ravens Offensive Coordinator
After practice, coach John Harbaugh didn't know the extent of the injury, but knew that it was bad. "Dennis has a dislocated hip. We'll have to take a look at that and see exactly what it is. It's a serious injury."
Pitta has increased his role significantly since being drafted in the 4th round by the Ravens in 2009. He and quarterback Joe Flacco have a very good relationship on and off the field.
Last season, Pitta caught 61 passes for 669 yards and 7 touchdowns. He was very effective in the playoffs catching 14 for 163 yards and three touchdowns, including a one-yard touchdown pass from Flacco in the Super Bowl to give the Ravens a 14-3 lead.
Pitta was second on the team in receptions and Ravens offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell knows the loss will hurt his team, "Obviously, he was a very, very productive guy for us," said Caldwell. "He made a lot of big plays last year. We'll see what happens. But somebody is going to have to step up. We do have some capable guys all across the flanks. We do have some weapons. We're just going to have to have some guys make some plays for us."
