National Football League

Ravens owner not quite ready to believe Steve Smith will stay retired

Published Jan. 11, 2017 9:57 a.m. ET

Dan Graf

Steve Smith has proven to be as tough to pin down on retirement the past few years as he was for defensive backs to cover, and maybe that’s why Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti doesn’t sound ready to accept the wide receiver’s most recent announcement that he’s done with football.

Smith made his retirement official by sending a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Jan. 2, but Bisciotti told ESPN with a smile this week that he’s not so sure Smith, 37, is finished:

"I haven't given up hope that Steve Smith is going to come walking in here in September. We'll see about that character. I wouldn't count him out."