During a minicamp practice Friday morning, Sypniewski’s left knee buckled after hauling in a pass and awkwardly bumping into linebacker Antwan Barnes. In obvious pain, the 6-foot-6, 270-pounder was carted off the field. There’s concern that this could be a season-ending injury that would require surgery.
Afterward, Sypniewski was on crutches in the locker room and had a walking cast on his leg before leaving the training complex to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging exam. Further tests are going to be conducted to determine the full severity of the injury.
"You hate to see that, you don’t want to see guys go down, said tight end Todd Heap, the only healthy tight end on the roster since backup Daniel Wilcox isn’t fully recovered from ankle surgery. "It does not look good. I definitely feel for Quinn right now, and I hope he’s all right."
It wasn’t a full-contact drill, and Barnes and Sypniewski both attemped to avoid a serious collision.
Sypniewski declined to comment, but told teammates that he had hurt his ACL and PCL ligaments.
Last season with Heap dealing with a strained hamstring that forced him onto injured reserve as well as Wilcox being out, Sypniewski started nine games and caught 34 passes for 246 yards and one touchdown.
Even prior to the former fifth-round pick’s injury, the Ravens were expected to explore selecting a tight end during the second day of the draft to add depth.
Meanwhile, offensive tackle Adam Terry is ahead of schedule after undergoing offseason ankle surgery.
With Terry still on the mend, second-year pro Jared Gaither took the snaps with the first offense. They are expected to compete for the job during training camp.
Outside linebacker Dan Cody, who has dealt with numerous knee injuries, practiced without incident.
Cornerback David Pittman didn’t practice due to an injured right foot.
Aaron Wilson covers the Baltimore Ravens and the Carroll County Times and the Annapolis Capital.
