Baltimore Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith, one of the team’s best players, will miss the rest of the season after undergoing foot surgery, the team announced Thursday.

“With the exam this morning, the doctors decided that he needed surgery and they repaired the injury,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said on the team’s official website. “Jimmy is finished for the season, but will recover for our offseason program.”

Initially it was believed Smith’s injury would sideline him for only a few weeks.

“The plan for Jimmy was to do more testing once swelling subsided. With this exam, doctors decided he needed surgery,” Harbaugh told the Baltimore Sun.

Smith is under contract for $6.9 million next season.

With Smith out of the lineup last week, Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger took advantage of the Ravens’ secondary, throwing six touchdown passes.

Dominique Franks, Smith’s replacement against the Steelers, was waived this week, and so was Chykie Brown, a starter early this season.

The Ravens have been forced to make significant changes in the defensive backfield. They claimed Danny Gorrer off waivers and shifted safeties to cornerback.