The Ravens didn't draft him, but after the Panthers did not attempt to re-sign Smith during the 2014 offseason, Baltimore jumped at the chance to get him.
Well, the same can be said on the topic of Smith's future. What's he going to do?
"He was packing up to move on. It was hard for me, as I'm packing up my house here in Baltimore and putting my career in boxes. It's tough. It's emotional."
Smith broke into the league in 2001 with Carolina and played with the Panthers for 13 seasons before coming to Baltimore in 2014.
A minute later, Smith told of a symbolic message he received during practice.
"His competitive nature and the way he plays this game and the talent that he has, he's definitely unique and a rare breed. Any time you get a chance to play with a guy that's really a legend in this game, count yourself lucky."
Standing in front of the media wearing a Darth Vader costume, Smith said he's "about 89 percent sure" it will mark the end of his stellar career.
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Steve Smith sounds like a man who's ready to close the door on an NFL career that has spanned 16 seasons and taken him well beyond his 37th birthday.
Smith concedes that he's lost a step, yet he leads the Ravens with five TD catches, ranks third with 67 receptions and second with 765 yards receiving.
This time, when asked about his future beyond Sunday, Smith said, "Football has given me more than I probably can give football back. For 2016-17 and beyond, it's probably my last game."
Smith's value to a team transcends mere grit and determination. He ranks seventh in NFL history with 14,NFL Jerseys China,697 yards receiving and is 12th with 1,Alexis Sanchez Arsenal Jersey UK,028 receptions.
The three-year contract Smith signed with Baltimore ends after this season. So even if he comes back, that doesn't mean it will be with the Ravens.
"I've been playing with house money," he said. "People say come back, get some statistics. I've got the best statistic ever — I played 16 years."
Probably? Pressed for something more definitive, Smith said, "Just let it be, bro."
"He's the kind of guy when I see him come in,Cheap Jerseys, I get excited because I'm like,Cheap Jerseys USA, 'OK,Wholesale Jerseys China, what's going to happen next? What's he going to say? What's he going to do?'"
"Steve's unbelievable. I have nothing but great things to say about him and my time spent with him," Flacco said.
"Today was pretty emotional out on the field," he said. "It was a windy, and parts of the field were frozen. The sun was shining. It was confirmation today. God winked at me."
Carolina quarterback Cam Newton said Wednesday: "There's not a lot guys that you look down a dark alley and say 'I want to bring this person. I want to bring that person.' But Steve Smith is one of those guys that you better make sure is on your team, and not against your team. I have seen both of them, and I would prefer him being on my team."
"I would say that it's been nothing but an honor, a privilege and a joy. Every single day, I look forward to it," coach John Harbaugh said.
Though Smith spoke with deep emotion during his 10-minute session, he did not formally announce his retirement. He already did that once before, prior to the 2015 season, but ended up changing his mind after tearing his Achilles tendon in Week 7.
When the outcome of a game is hanging in the balance and a first down is needed, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco knows to look for Smith.

A feisty, fierce competitor with a drive to win unmatched by few in the league, Smith has a knack for drawing praise from his teammates and ire from those who go up against him.
Smith joked last summer about returning this year to get to 1,000 catches. At this point, those kinds of milestones are irrelevant.
"Whether you want to or not, you've got to move on," Smith said Wednesday. "It's part of life. The world still turns."
He used that number because he wears No. 89.
"It looked like he could keep playing," Panthers coach Ron Rivera said "Wow, 89 percent huh? Well, there's an 11 percent chance. But he's earned the right to decide when it's time."
The five-time Pro Bowl receiver will play in his 230th NFL game Sunday when the Baltimore Ravens finish the season against the Cincinnati Bengals.
"Put it like this: I can really relate and understand what my son went through dropping him off at college," Smith said.
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