55 replies to this topic

[Token]

It took 15 seasons for Baltimore Ravens center Matt Birk to win his first Super Bowl.
Apparently he intends on going out a champion. According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, Birk is set to announce his retirement on Friday

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/22/report-ravens-center-matt-birk-set-to-retire-friday/

Great player, great career, I'm glad he got to go out with a ring.

[Ravenslifer]

He was great the last few years with us. Yes he wore down at times and at times looked his age, but he brought experience, leadership, and toughness during a time when a lot of key players were leaving us. I wish him the best in retirement and I'm glad he went out with a Superbowl ring.

[BloodRaven]

Awesome player, 2x All-pro, 6x pro bowls, now Super Bowl Champion.

[codizzle]

Great player for the Ravens.. Glad he got a ring with us and finished his career with a strong year

[Moderator 2]

Happy for him, there have been rumors of back issues and I am so glad he got his ring,

[PolishRifle]

He had a great last year and proved many nay-sayers wrong along the way. Good for him. Wonder, if Gino is ready to fill those shoes.

[Bltravens]

Great player for the Ravens.. Glad he got a ring with us and finished his career with a strong year

This. He faded down the stretch in 2011 but it was great to see him keep his quality play throughout the playoff run this year.

[Sizzlebshu]

And so the cap clearing begins (Ozzie mentioned several possible retirees)

But in all seriousness, Birk was great and a big part of why the o-line played so well in our playoff run. Great career and glad to see him go out on top.

[flaccopoe]

Thanks for all you've done for BAL, Birk! You were the foundation of the offensive line that allowed Flacco to go into MVP Mode!

[GTRavens]

How about Matt Birk proving the doubters wrong? Everyone thought he was useless after what Vince Wilfork did in the AFC championship, and he responds by not only not getting dominated, but having a legitimately strong year.

Don't think we will forget that, Matt. You played a big role in your team getting that Lombardi Trophy.

Edited by GTRavens, 22 February 2013 - 03:00 AM.

[Desert]

Thanks for everything you have done for the Raven's. Enjoy your retirement, you have earned it!

[UMDan]

Glad to see him going out on top. As has already been mentioned he had a great year after being doubted after his AFCCG performance last year. Gino certainly has big shoes to fill.

Thank you, Matt! Enjoy retirement.

[BmoreRav]

What a way to go out! Congrats on a great career, Matt. Enjoy retirement, you've certainly earned it!

[HomeoftheBRAVENS]

I thought it shouldve came a year earlier after the way he played in 2011 but he proved me wrong.He had a great year last year.If my calculations are correct,his retirement should save us $2,050,000 in cap space.

[Ravensfan23]

Congrats to Birk and the Birk family. We always talk about the guys at skilled positions who epitomize what it means to be a Raven. Well count Matt Birk as one of those guys. Smart, Tough, Hard Worker, Leader, Great Family man, Community guy and just a Fighter.

It seemed like for the last 3 seasons Birk was battling some type of injury or having surgery, but he never missed a game. Birk was the questioned leader of that oline and I hope the guys, especially Gino, learned a lot from him.

I'm glad his career didnt end in NE last year and that probably drove him. He got that ring to finish off a championship style career. I hope much like Quadry, Birk comes back and does Rave TV and preseason games. He's a pretty funny guy and knows football, he'd be a treat for fans.

[Footman DCXLV]

Just like with Ray, it's a bitter-sweet moment. You couldn't ask for a better way to go out as a player, and as a fan, I love to see that for a veteran guy who really deserves it. But, as a fan, it also makes me wonder about how it will affect the team this year. One one hand, our starting center for the last 4 seasons has to be replaced. That's never easy. On the other, maybe that will help with a little more cap space.
As much as I loved our line play in the postseason, would losing Birk and McKinnie give us any shot of keeping both Ellerbe and Kruger? Assuming, of course, that a favorable deal gets done with Flacco soon.

[GrimCoconut]

I will miss all these old vets we're losing. Lewis, Birk, and possibly more.

Birk was fantastic this year. He was a big part of our Super Bowl run.

[bMore Heathen]

Congrats on a great career and going out in top!!!

[Bump N Run]

Congrats on a great career and even better Super Bowl season. Birk appeared to get better each game and played his best when it mattered most this season, not to mention he played every game.