Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Michael Pierce hit the practice field for the first time all season on Tuesday but it didn't last long. After just a few minutes on the field, he was sent off because of poor conditioning. Pierce's playing weight is listed at 340 but Jamison Hensley of ESPN noted that he appeared to be much heavier than his listed weight.

“He's not ready to practice from a safety standpoint and for his own health,” Harbaugh said. “We recognize that and pulled him off.”

Pierce was an undrafted rookie out of Samford in 2016 but he has quickly become one of the best defensive tackles in the league, especially against the run. Last year he was ranked as the fifth best interior defensive lineman by Pro Football Focus.

This offseason he was given a second-round tender and will receive a salary right around $3 million for this upcoming season.

After this season Pierce can become an unrestricted free agent so this is a big season for him. The former Samford star has never had issues with his weight, so this is an interesting development going into the biggest year of his career.

“He's not ready for this practice yet,” Harbaugh said. “I think you could probably tell.”

Hopefully being around the team and in the facility, it will only take a few days to get his conditioning to where it needs to be to get back out on the practice field. Hopefully, this is only a one time deal and it won't continue to be an issue throughout his career.