Steve Smith Fantasy Stats

Steve Smith has retired, according to NFL.com, ending the career of one of the best wide receivers in the 21st century. In 2016, Smith caught 70 passes for 799 yards and five touchdowns for the Ravens. He had seven games with five receptions or more and remained a threat in the offensive passing game. Smith could always be counted on to catch passes across the middle and use his will and athleticism to gain extra yards. For his career, Smith has 1,031 receptions for 14,731 yards and 81 career touchdowns. He has had 12 seasons of 700-plus receiving yards and nine 70-plus receptions seasons. The Ravens will have to find a replacement via free agency or in-house options like Breshad Perriman or Kamar Aiken. Smith's next great reception might be picking up the phone to accept an invitation to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Steve Smith says he is "89 percent sure" he will retire at season's end, per NFL.com. It would mark the end of a fantastic career for the veteran receiver. This season, despite missing a few games, No. 89 has 67 receptions for 765 yards and five touchdowns. Smith still is a huge part of the Ravens' offense but will go up against a Bengals defense that has allowed the second fewest points to wide receivers this season. Look for Smith to try and go out with a bang, trying to add a little more to his career 81 touchdowns and 14,697 receiving yards.

Last week Smith Sr. caught five passes for 60 yards and a touchdown. The Ravens are currently in first place at 5-4 but face tough matchup on the road against the 8-1 Cowboys. The Cowboys defense has allowed 11 touchdowns to opposing receivers so Smith Sr. will see some opportunities on the field Sunday. Smith Sr. is a WR4 heading into Week 11.

At the ripe age of 37, Steve Smith Sr. is attempting to give it one last go in the NFL. Before the 2015 campaign began, the fiery Smith announced his intention to retire following the end of the season. As it turned out, a torn Achilles against the San Diego Chargers spoiled his retirement plans, and the 16-year veteran will look to lead the Ravens' paper-thin receiving corps once again. Before suffering that torn Achilles in Week 8, Smith was on pace to have arguably the best season of his legendary career. He finished with 670 yards and three touchdowns in what was essentially half a season and finished second on the team in receiving. He'll look to continue that success in 2016, but it won't be easy. Smith is 37 years old and is trying to recover from a torn Achilles. That's a tough injury for any player to recover from, let alone one who is nearly 40 years old. The good news is that Joe Flacco doesn't have many quality alternatives, so Smith is still capable of accumulating 1,000 yards. The question is, can his body handle it?

Steve Smith, Sr. recently stated that he doesn't know when he's coming back. The veteran wideout suffered a torn Achilles' in an October game last season and is still in the process of returning to full health. The Ravens have been struck by bad luck at the receiver position as they just likely lost Breshad Perriman for the season. This means they will likely need to lean on Smith to provide play-making ability. It would be a good idea for drafters to exercise caution with Smith as it is hard to tell when he'll be back from his injury although he should be in for a big workload when he does return.