Ray Lewis Isn’t Going Anywhere

With Ray Lewis out for the season with torn triceps muscle in his right arm, the biggest question now is whether this marks the end of a Hall of Fame career.

No one knows what Lewis is thinking at this point, but don’t expect him to announce his retirement anytime soon. Even if Lewis was thinking of hanging it up this season, the injury shelved those plans.

Lewis, 37, is the type of leader and player who will want to leave the game on his own terms. He won’t be forced out by an injury, a coach or critics. If you think this is the end of Lewis’ career, you haven’t been paying attention to the 17 years he’s been in the league. This is a linebacker who has built his reputation on taking away the wills of running backs. It will not sit well with Lewis that his final NFL game was spent as a spectator while his defense was trying to stop the Cowboys from a winning drive. As Lewis stood there wearing his shoulder pads and standing as close as he could to the field of play, it was not a picture of a player who was ready to say goodbye to the game.

What fuels Lewis is the desire to win another championship. His goal has always been to announce his retirement as the best player to have ever suited up for this game. He has the multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards, Pro Bowls and All-Pro selections to back that up. The only part of this game that has eluded Lewis is a second Super Bowl championship. That’s why it will be tough for Lewis to sit out the rest of this season with the Ravens at 5-1 and primed for another playoff run. That’s why Lewis will return in 2013.