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Pitta To Miss 2013 Season With Dislocated Hip

Written By Bob Harris | fantasy football | Posted 27-Jul-13 @ 16:29 PT

As the team's official web site put it, "The Ravens had about the worst possible sight during Saturday’s practice, as tight end Dennis Pitta was carted off the field during practice."

Pitta suffered a dislocated hip after colliding with safety James Ihedigbo on a jump ball in the back of the end zone.

The Ravens announced after Pitta was carted off the field that the injury was serious enough that they were ready to rule Pitta out for Week 1, when the defending Super Bowl champions have their Thursday night opener at Denver.

Then the news got worse.

ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported that Pitta's injury will cost him the entire 2013 season.

As Profootballtalk.com's Michael David Smith notes, Pitta was a very important part of the Ravens’ offense last year as he set career highs in receptions (61), yards (669) and touchdowns (seven) for the Super Bowl champions. The fourth-year pass-catcher made a tangible impact in the postseason, finishing with 14 catches for 163 yards and three touchdowns in four victories.

In addition, Pitta was one of quarterback Joe Flacco’s favorite targets, especially in the red zone.

NFL.com's Marc Sessler reminded readers that with Pitta out, Ed Dickson and a combination of Alex Silvestro, Matt Furstenburg and Billy Bajema will be asked to pick up the slack. But none of them boast the chemistry Pitta has with Flacco.

Stay tuned. We'll have more in the News & Views section of the site as developments warrant.

UPDATE (Sunday, 28 July @ 17:30 CT): It's official. “[Pitta] is out for the year,” head coach John Harbaugh said Sunday. “It’s the type of thing that he’s not going to be able to come back from this year. There’s enough damage in there to preclude that.” The team signed veteran free agent Visanthe Shiancoe to add depth at the position.