Ogden May Wrap Up Career With a Bow

OWINGS MILLS, Md., Dec. 26 -- The thought has certainly entered Jonathan Ogden's mind: When he takes the field on Sunday afternoon against the Pittsburgh Steelers, it could be the last time he does so as a professional football player. The Baltimore Ravens left tackle will be completing his 12th season in the NFL.

"I'm just going out there -- it's been a rough season, obviously -- to go out there and try to help us win," said Ogden, who will be honored before the game as one of three Ravens selected to the Pro Bowl. "If it's the last one, hey, it's been a good ride."

Ogden, 33, has said this could be his final season, but that he won't make a decision until the offseason. The two major factors driving his decision will be his health and his desire to play.

"The biggest thing is, right now, I just probably need a little time," Ogden said. "After a year like this, everybody says, 'I'm not coming back.' People who have played one year don't want to come back. [I'm] joking, but it's a tough year; it's a long year. You want to get away from it before you figure anything out."

Indeed, this has been one of the most frustrating seasons in Ogden's 12-year career, which spans the Ravens' entire history. The Ravens are 4-11, and if they lose to Pittsburgh (10-5) on Sunday, they will match the worst record in team history (1996, Ogden's rookie season). All four of Baltimore's victories, incidentally, came during a five-game stretch in which Ogden was inactive because of an injured toe.

The 6-foot-9, 345-pound Ogden has been remarkably durable throughout his career, but he has battled injuries this season. He hyperextended the big toe on his left foot late last season and never really recovered. He missed all of training camp but started against Cincinnati in the season opener, only to aggravate the injury. Sunday's game will mark his 10th start of the season, his fewest ever.

"There hasn't been a day this year that I haven't been in the training room," Ogden said. "That gets a little frustrating. So I'd have to get healthy. That's the thing right now."

Ogden contemplated retirement before the season began, but one of the things that drew him back was the opportunity to win another Super Bowl. Baltimore was 13-3 in 2006, made very few changes in the offseason and was expected to be a playoff contender. This season, the Ravens are in last place in the AFC North for the first time in team history. Nine of their opening-day starters are 30 or older.

"They're going to make some changes, obviously," Ogden said. "I'll just kind of evaluate that and see who's going to be back. There's no doubt this next year, a lot of the older guys are pretty much about done, just to be realistic about it. I will consider that."

The Ravens are giving Ogden space to make his decision. As veteran wide receiver Derrick Mason said, "He deserves that respect." They also know that Ogden, who is something of an iconoclast, likely won't be swayed by outside opinions.

"It's like my grandfather -- they've been around and they're set in their ways," guard Jason Brown said. "It's so personal that nobody is going to make that decision for them, and nobody's going to be able to persuade them."

Ogden was the first draft pick of the Ravens (fourth overall in 1996), and he has been a cornerstone of the franchise since. Voted to 11 straight Pro Bowls, he is considered one of the best left tackles in NFL history. Ogden, a D.C. native and graduate of St. Albans, often can be seen walking through the locker room with reading material tucked under his arm (he likes golf magazines and James Patterson novels).

"Regardless of what he wants to do, coaching Jonathan Ogden has been one of the highlights of my professional career," Coach Brian Billick said. "To be around a bona fide, guaranteed, first-ballot Hall of Famer -- you don't get that opportunity all that often."

Should he choose to retire, Ogden already has an idea of what he wants to do.

"I just want to play golf for a year. I'm serious," said Ogden, who got his handicap down to 14 during the last offseason. "I want to play golf and get my handicap down to the single digits, and then worry about everything else."

Ravens Notes: Fifth-year running back Musa Smith is expected to make his first career start on Sunday, with Willis McGahee out with broken ribs and Mike Anderson nursing a thigh injury. . . . McGahee, quarterback Kyle Boller (concussion), wide receiver Mark Clayton (back), linebacker Ray Lewis (back) and tight end Todd Heap (hamstring) were among the eight players who did not practice Wednesday.