Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs partially tore his Achilles tendon over the weekend, but he told ESPN.com he thinks he can return by the middle of the 2012 season.

Suggs was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year after a 70-tackle season, including 14 sacks. He was the only player last season to record at least five sacks, five passes defensed and five forced fumbles. The Ravens had the No. 3 ranked defense and advanced to the AFC Championship Game.

Suggs, 29, told ESPN.com through text messages that suffered the injury Saturday, "running my condition test."

Surgery is scheduled for next week, and despite reports that Suggs is likely out for the season, he claims he can return for at least part of the 2012 season.

"That's just going to make it so much sweeter when I run out of that tunnel and prove everyone wrong," Suggs told ESPN.com.

Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome told ESPN's Josina Anderson that the team learned of Suggs' injury earlier this week, and that Suggs would visit a specialist next week to determine whether the tendon is partially or fully torn.

"We are in contact with Terrell. He will see a specialist early next week and we'll know more at that time," the team said in a statement.

The Ravens may already have a replacement in Alabama's Courtney Upshaw, who was taken with the 35th overall pick, but was expected to compete to replace the departed Jarrett Johnson.