The Baltimore Ravens escaped Pittsburgh with a 26-23 overtime win over the Steelers, but they didn't do unscathed.
Starting strong safety Tony Jefferson suffered a torn ACL in the AFC North rivalry game, coach John Harbaugh announced. He is out for the season. Harbaugh expressed concern that the torn ACL may not be the full extent of the injury.
“He’s done,” Harbaugh said, via Aaron Kasinitz of PennLive. “He at least has an ACL, and probably more. So he’s out for the season as it stands right now. Just for the record, we said a prayer over him, and all things are possible. He’ll find a way to come back stronger than before.”
Jefferson is in his third season with the Ravens and seventh in the NFL. He signed with Baltimore in 2017 after proving himself as an undrafted diamond in the rough for the Arizona Cardinals.
Jefferson's teammates laud him for his leadership. In the last two games, he had the “green dot” on his helmet, meaning he communicated calls and adjustments to the defender.
“As much work as this guy has put in — he’s been a great leader,” safety Earl Thomas said, via Kasinitz. “He practices when he’s hurt. Just to see him go down like that, it’s definitely a blow to the team. Hopefully,he sticks around. I live next to him, so I know I’m going to check on him. But it definitely hurts the team.”
Jefferson is under contract with the Ravens through the 2020 season. Anthony Levine is expected to take over as the starting strong safety in Baltimore.
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