Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs tore his Achilles tendon and likely will miss the 2012 season.

In texts to ESPN, Suggs said he suffered the injury Saturday, “running my condition test.” He denied that the injury happened playing basketball, as some sources had told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. Other sources had told Schefter that the injury happened during the conditioning test, as Suggs maintains.

Surgery is scheduled for next week, the sources said. The Ravens do not know if Suggs’ Achilles tendon is partially or fully torn as their doctors have not seen the results of Suggs’ MRI yet. The team is sending Suggs to see a specialist early next week to help make that determination.

Also, one source who has spoken with Suggs said he thinks he will be able to come back in October. However, the average return to the field by NFL players who have torn their Achilles is 11 months, according to a study presented at the American Academy Orthopedic Surgeons in 2006.

Suggs was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year after last season, in which he had 70 tackles, including 14 sacks, and was a threat all over the field from his hybrid linebacker-end position. He also forced seven fumbles and had two interceptions, helping the Ravens, which boasted the No. 3 overall defense, win the AFC North and advance to the AFC Championship Game.

Suggs was the only player last season to record at least five sacks, five passes defensed and five forced fumbles.

Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome told ESPN’s Josina Anderson that the team found out about Suggs’ injury earlier this week.

“We found out about it on Monday. He (Suggs) said he would be visiting with a specialist early next week,” Newsome told ESPN.

A statement released by the Ravens said: “We are in contact with Terrell. He will see a specialist early next week and we’ll know more at that time.”

In his nine-year career, Suggs had only missed three games.

Replacing Suggs will be a challenge. The Ravens drafted former Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw but he is expected to replace outside linebacker Jarret Johnson, who signed with the San Diego Chargers. Candidates to take over Suggs’ spot are Paul Kruger, Sergio Kindle and Michael McAdoo.

WRITTEN BY Information from ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, ESPN.com’s Stephania Bell, ESPN.com AFC North blogger Jamison Hensley and The Associated Press was used in this report & FULL STORY HERE