Baltimore Ravens Center Matt Birk To Retire

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens center Matt Birk (77) celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Center Matt Birk helped lead the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl victory this past season, his first. And like his teammate Ray Lewis, Birk is going to ride off into the sunset having won his last game and finally getting that elusive Super Bowl Ring.

ESPN’s NFL Insider Adam Schefter tweeted: “Ravens C Matt Birk will announce his retirement today, the Baltimore Sun reports. Birk is poised to succeed off field as he did on it.”

Matt Birk was drafted out of Harvard in the 6th round of the 1998 draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He played the first 11 of his 15 NFL seasons in Minnesota before coming to Baltimore.

Birk’s current deal has him signed through the 2015 season but retirement was on his mind after losing in the AFC Championship game a season ago. He came back for one more chance to win a ring and finally won one.

He would’ve made $2.75 million this season, not a large number but nevertheless cap relief for the Baltimore Ravens who are trying to resign Super Bowl XLVII MVP Joe Flacco. That brings the total for the Ravens to $10 million under the cap, still not enough to ink the quarterback.

Gino Gradkowski, yes that other guys brother, is listed as the back up center for the Baltimore Ravens. They could try to go out and find a veteran to fill the void Birk will create by his retirement.