Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith underwent foot surgery Thursday that will end his season, ESPN reports.
Smith, Baltimore's top corner, sprained his left foot on the opening drive of a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 26. The initial prognosis was for Smith to miss just a few weeks but that changed yesterday.
"The plan for Jimmy was to do more testing once the swelling subsided in his foot and that was done this morning," coach John Harbaugh said in a statement. "With this exam this morning, the doctors decided that he needed surgery and repaired the injury. That means Jimmy is finished for the season but will recover for our off-season program."
Smith injured his foot two weeks ago when he tried to make a tackle at the goal line. While he wasn't hit on the play he did come off the field with a noticeable injury.
Smith was a first round pick for Baltimore in 2011. He was the most valuable player in the Ravens secondary, as evidenced by the six passing touchdowns they surrendered to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the team's first game without him. The Ravens will now rely on corners Lardarius Webb, Danny Gorrer and rookie Tramain Jacobs to fill in for Smith. However, Webb has struggled with a lower-back injury this season while Gorrer and Jacobs only have two NFL starts between them.
"Other than quarterback Joe Flacco, the player the Ravens could least afford to lose this season was Smith," ESPN's Jamison Hensley wrote. "The Ravens' secondary went from being depleted to downright depressing.
"There is no player on the Ravens who can match Smith's size, speed and playmaking ability. That's why the loss of Smith represents the undoing of the Ravens' championship aspirations."
Smith is 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 205 lbs. He ran a 4.42 40-yard dash at the NFL combine and has recorded five interceptions and forced two fumbles since being drafted.
The Ravens (5-4) have lost their past two games without Smith. They rank just 24th in opposing passing yards per game (263.2). Despite Baltimore's winning record, they currently sit in last place in the AFC North. Every team in that division is currently above .500.
The Ravens will host the Tennessee Titans (2-6) this Sunday.
