AP

Since the stories regarding the status of Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and his injured foot currently already are all over the place (he won’t play Sunday, he may play Sunday, he’ll miss only one game if he misses any, he’ll miss at least two games), let’s add to the growing orchestra of out-of-sync accounts of the future Hall of Famer’s status.

There’s a rumor making the rounds that Ray got bad news during his visit to a South Florida specialist, and that Lewis could miss the rest of the season.

I’ll believe that when I see it. Few men who ever have played organized sports possess the will and the heart and the drive of Ray Lewis. Peter King mentioned during halftime of Saturday’s Notre Dame home finale that, several years ago, Lewis dislocated a shoulder against the Browns. With his helmet confiscated by trainers, Lewis nevertheless popped the shoulder back into place, did 35 push-ups to show that he could play, got his helmet back, and re-entered the game.

That said, an injured foot can be more problematic, since with every other stride taken it carries the full weight of the body. Regardless of the condition of the foot, if there’s a way to play, Lewis will play. If the injury is bad enough to keep him from playing today against the Bengals, then it’s reasonable to think it’s bad enough to keep him from playing for a while.

UPDATE 9:43 a.m. ET: Warren Sapp of NFL Network reports that Lewis will not play today.