Dennis Pitta

Baltimore Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta returned to the practice field Wednesday for the first time since having surgery on his hip in late July, but neither he nor the team will reveal when the team's leading returning pass catcher will play his first game.

Asked when the Ravens expect Pitta to play, coach John Harbaugh said before practice, "It's impossible to say. Without getting ahead of ourselves here, as soon as possible. But safety is No. 1 and his ability to perform out there are two factors."

"I feel great," Pitta said in his first comments with reporters since the injury. "I'm going to take it slow, though, to make sure I can integrate myself back in."

"I got to be able to play at an elite level and that's what it takes to play in this league," he said. "We'll see how the next few weeks go and see how I progress and how I'm doing on the field. I'm not sure as of right now that timetable."

The phrase "we'll see how the next few weeks go" makes it sound as if Pitta is a few weeks away from returning to game action. Owners shouldn't expect him back soon, though TE-needy teams in deeper leagues may want to stash him for a possible return in the fantasy playoffs.