Ravens place center Matt Skura on PUP list to start training camp
All indications heading into training camp pointed to Baltimore Ravens center Matt Skura being ready to roll as reports of his incredible recovery from his season-ending knee injury that he suffered in Week 12 of last season suggested. However, it appears he’s not quite ready to resume football activities and practice just yet. On Sunday, the team announced that he will begin camp on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list as he continues his rehabilitation process.
Since he will be on the list entering camp, Skura will be able to return to practice at any point. He tore his ACL, MCL, and PCL and dislocated his knee in late November in an interconference bout with the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football. The Ravens won the game in lopsided fashion 45-6 but lost their starting center for the remainder of the season and for the lone playoff game.
In his stead, undrafted rookie Patrick Mekhari took over as the starter for the rest of the year and more than held his own against some of the top competition in the league. It was quite the unfortunate development for Skura who was enjoying the best season of his career to date and was leading all centers in Pro Bowl voting before he went down. Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh went as far as to say that he had established himself as one of the best players in the league at his position.
Skura passed Ravens’ conditioning test, renown for its intense level of difficulty, in mid-June with flying colors and Harbaugh called the progress he made during his rehab miraculous. He was believed to be ahead of schedule in his healing process that he aggressively attacked determined to earn his job back.
His stay on the list could be a short one considering the Ravens typically air on the side of caution when it comes to getting their injured players back on the field in full capacity. He could be back in action at any time in the near future once he gets the green light to practice.
“I’m optimistic about Matt, I really am. That’s a big plus for us,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said last week. “We’ll be careful and we’ll see how he looks and feels. I know he’s worked really, really hard to be ready.”
Even though he’s started 39 games in his career for the Ravens—12 at right guard and 27 at center—and has the most experience among the other candidates, Skura won’t just have his job handed to him once he’s healthy. He’ll be competing with Mekari, Bradley Bozeman, who started every game at left guard last season, and undrafted rookies Sean Pollard and Trystan Colon-Castillo.
