Ray Lewis making every effort to return to Ravens as fast as possible

It's not every day that an NFL player apologizes for skipping out on time with the media. In fact, it's basically never.

But Ray Lewis is a man all his own, and the Ravens linebacker released a statement Tuesday to explain his absence to the Baltimore media. His reason? Oh yeah, he was receiving treatment on the injured toe that sidelined him for Sunday's victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

"As the leader of your team, it doesn't sit well with me to be on the sidelines," Lewis said about his injury. "But I was the biggest cheerleader out there on Sunday, and I was truly proud of the way we played as a team.

"I am doing everything in my power to get back as fast as I can, whether that's this week, next week or whenever it is, I am doing everything I can to be out there with my team. I want to play Thursday night, and I am making some progress."

Lewis clearly isn't putting a timetable on his return, but NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora reported Monday it will be up to the 12-time Pro Bowl linebacker to decide whether or not he plays on Thanksgiving Day against the San Francisco 49ers.

Given that Lewis is making some progress, he probably can be excused for not answering questions for one day.

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(nfl.com)