During a practice with the Baltimore Ravens this year, Brandon Stokley made a self-deprecating observation about his NFL career.

“You know, there’s nobody who has played as long as me who has caught as few balls as me,” Stokley said with a laugh to his wide receivers coach, Jim Hostler.

There’s a compliment in there somewhere.

Start with only 18 NFL receivers having made it through 15 seasons. As usual, Stokley’s instincts were impeccable. His 397 catches easily are the fewest of the group — 160 fewer than No. 17 Troy Brown’s 557.

Stokley won’t catch up. The former Broncos slot receiver has played his last game. After talking it over with Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome three weeks ago, Stokley knew he was finished playing. Placed on season-ending injured reserve because of his latest concussion, Stokley’s retirement will become official when the Ravens’ season ends. He no doubt could have played again next season, because dependable slot receivers in the NFL are in short supply.

But Stokley is one of the few who is retiring on his own terms.

“I’m glad I played this year because now I know I’m done,” Stokley said Thursday in the living room of his Castle Rock home. “Had I not played this year, I would have always felt I could have kept playing. I still know I can play, but my body just can’t go through it anymore.”

A string of injuries was the reason Stokley doesn’t have the career statistics of the other 15-year receivers. Character, the football intelligence of a coach’s son, a team-above-self attitude and the ability to make the clutch catch on third down were why Stokley was always in demand.

“I think Brandon is the best teammate I’ve ever had,” said Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, who played with Stokley in Indianapolis from 2003-06 and again with the Broncos in 2012. “He’s a guy you want on your team in your corner. Fifteen years as a slot receiver in the NFL, going across the middle, taking hits, it’s almost unheard of.”

The last hit was delivered by Minnesota Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway. It was hardly a big hit, which Newsome and Stokley took as a sign. In the fourth quarter of the Ravens’ 29-26 victory Dec. 8, Stokley caught a 2-yard pass from Joe Flacco along the sideline. Greenway hit him around the chest, not the head. Stokley’s head didn’t hit the ground, but he suffered a concussion anyway.

It’s been reported that it was Stokley’s 13th concussion, although he doesn’t think he’s suffered that many.

“I don’t know how you describe a concussion,” he said.

What medical science has determined with cumulative concussions is that it takes less impact on each subsequent hit to cause the next brain injury. Three weeks after getting tackled by Greenway, Stokley still has to monitor his exertion.

He sat on his couch Thursday with son Cameron between him and wife Lana while son Carson was running to and fro in the living room that offers a spectacular view of the Rocky Mountains.

“Of course you worry about it, but I never wanted to be the reason why he stopped playing,” Lana said. “We would talk. But I knew he would know when it was time to stop playing. I wanted it to be his regret, or have no regrets.”

Said Stokley: “If in 30 years I’m feeling fine and I would have stopped playing football four or five years ago, it would have been ‘Why did I stop?’ You can’t predict the future. So I was all in with football until I knew it was time for me to stop playing.”

Stokley won two Super Bowl championship rings — with Baltimore in 2000 and with Indianapolis in 2006. And among those 397 catches, 160 came on third down, 133 for first downs — an incredible 83.1 percent conversion rate.

“I guarantee you every quarterback he’s played with, whether (Trent) Dilfer or (Jay) Cutler, all the guys would tell you how great a teammate and how thankful they were that he was in the slot,” Manning said, “because you knew he was going to get open on a critical third down and make that big catch.”

Stokley said his immediate retirement plans are to serve as Lana’s personal assistant and help raise Cameron and Carson.

High-five from Stokley

Five highlights in the NFL career of wide receiver Brandon Stokley, who will retire after this season:

Super Bowl XXXV touchdown catch, Jan. 28, 2001

He had only 11 receptions during the regular season but opened the Ravens’ rout of the Giants with a 38-yard seam route.

Immaculate Deflection, Sept. 13, 2009

His 87-yard TD catch-and-run play off a Kyle Orton pass deflected by Bengals cornerback Leon Hall with only 11 seconds remaining started the Josh McDaniels era in Denver with a 12-7 victory.

Peyton Manning’s 49th touchdown pass, Dec. 26, 2004

This reception with the Colts allowed Manning to break Dan Marino’s NFL season TD pass record that had held for 20 years.

2012 season with the Broncos

Stokley’s career seemed finished until Manning’s arrival in Denver offered one more chance. Stokley came through with 45 receptions — including a 21-yard, go-ahead touchdown catch in Denver’s comeback win from a 24-0 halftime deficit at San Diego.

2003 playoff win against the Broncos

Playing with Manning’s Colts, Stokley had four catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-10 rout of the Broncos.

Mike Klis: mklis@denverpost.com or twitter.com/mikeklis