Smythe’s reported Achilles tear costs Baltimore more than one catch suggests

Baltimore tight end Durham Smythe is expected to miss the rest of the season after an MRI confirmed a torn Achilles, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday. Smythe suffered the injury during Sunday’s win over Tennessee, when the Ravens also lost several other players to injuries.

The report resolves a question still open Monday. Coach Jesse Minter had said there was no concrete medical conclusion while the team continued its evaluations. The Ravens’ Tuesday account attributed the confirmed tear and season-ending outlook to Rapoport.

Smythe’s absence takes a regular blocker out of Baltimore’s offense. The team reported that he played half of its offensive snaps through four games despite catching only one pass for four yards. That usage makes his replacement a personnel and blocking question extending beyond the passing statistics on a fantasy roster.

Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle supported bringing Smythe to Baltimore during free agency after working with him last season. Minter described Smythe as a player who knew the offense, could solve problems on the field and could line up in different positions within both blocking and passing schemes.

Mark Andrews leads the tight-end room. Baltimore’s account identified rookies Matt Hibner and Josh Cuevas as players who could shoulder more work, with veteran Nick Vannett available on the practice squad. Vannett’s background as a blocker offers another possible response, though the Ravens have not announced an elevation or a replacement’s workload.

Minter expressed confidence in the depth at the position and said an opportunity could emerge for another player. Those comments establish the team’s options; they do not identify a new starter or guarantee that one tight end will receive all of Smythe’s snaps.

RotoWire reported that Smythe will require surgery and noted that his one-year Baltimore contract leaves him due for free agency in the spring. A return during this season is no longer the outlook described by the reporting.

Smythe’s one catch offers a poor measure of what Baltimore is losing. His snap share and Minter’s account of his blocking work point to a regular offensive role. The remaining tight ends give the Ravens ways to adjust, but the team has yet to explain how those assignments will change.