Ravens put C Matt Skura on injured reserve; needs knee surgery

The worst fears were confirmed as the Baltimore Ravens center Matt Skura will need surgery on his knee, heading to injured reserve

The Baltimore Ravens continued their winning streak by beating the Los Angeles Rams in Week 12 but came out of the game a little weaker. After center Matt Skura was carted off the field with a knee injury, the worst fears came true with further testing. The Ravens announced they’ve placed Skura on injured reserve, ending his 2019 campaign early.

Skura had his leg rolled on during a pile-up on fourth down in the first quarter. The team initially announced it as a knee sprain, giving some hope Skura would be able to return at some point this season. However, once they got back to Baltimore and further testing could be done, it was determined surgery was needed.

It’s expected undrafted rookie Patrick Mekari will continue as Skura’s replacement after playing well for the remainder of the game against the Rams. Baltimore could also decide to move left guard Bradley Bozeman further inside to center and replace him with someone like James Hurst. However, that would mess with the continuity on the offensive line quite a bit — a unit that has started the same five guys at their respective positions for all 11 games this season.

This was Skura’s second season as Baltimore’s starting center. He’d really come into his how as the season wore on and was playing at a high level when he went down.

Skura posted a touching message to his Instagram thanking the fans and his teammates.

View this post on Instagram

I am honored to have shared the field with this group of men. We truly have something special going on here in Baltimore. These guys are more than teammates, they are my brothers. We fight and battle for each other every week, putting everything we have on the line. My season has ended, but there’s much more to be accomplished. We have a clear vision and aren’t wavering for anyone until the mission is complete. Thank you to all the family, coaches, friends and fans that have sent encouraging, thoughtful messages. It means more than many of you will ever know seeing the support I’ve received. I’m ready to attack this adversity and get back to the field stronger and better than ever! #RavensFlock #BigTruss

A post shared by Matt Skura (@mskura62) on