Stunning Progress: Ravens RB’s Recovery Exceeds…
The Baltimore Ravens’ ground game has been close to unstoppable this season, and the best part? There’s more help on the way.
The Ravens already have arguably the best offensive duo in football leading the backfield. Derrick Henry has been a monster in his first season with the Ravens, rushing for a league-high 946 yards and nine touchdowns through eight games. Lamar Jackson isn’t quite as run-happy as he was earlier in his career, but with 501 yards and two touchdowns on the season, he can still do a ton of damage with his legs. There’s also Justice Hill, who’s more of a receiving back than a rusher, but a very good one at that.
Even with all that talent, the imminent return of second-year running back Keaton Mitchell looms large. Mitchell, a former undrafted free agent out of East Carolina, had a very impressive rookie campaign with 396 yards and two touchdowns on over eight yards per attempt in 2023, but he suffered a devastating knee injury in December.
This week, he practiced in full and is officially questionable for Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos. While it’s not clear if he’ll actually make his season debut in that game, his progress has been incredibly impressive to witness.
“[Keaton Mitchell] looked good absolutely, and we’ll just have to make a decision as we go forward here,” head coach John Harbaugh said Friday. “There’s roster implications to all that as well. The main thing as a coach [that] you look at [is that] he’s looking good, so it’s good to see him back. That’s a tough rehab he had, and it’s been stellar – his progress. So, we’ll see where we’re at.”
With Mitchell back in the fold, the Ravens will have a home-run threat virtually every time he touches the ball. Not that they were lacking in that department, but it never hurts to add another one.
“It’s great to have [Keaton Mitchell] back out there,” Jackson said. “I told him earlier; he caught a little small pass, [and] he took off. I’m like, ‘You’re starting to look like last year’s Keaton.’ So, it’s great to see him back in good spirits. He always was in good spirits, but just to see him on the field with us is good to see.”
The Ravens have until Nov. 13 to move Mitchell to the 53-man roster, but based on where he’s at in his recovery, he’ll likely be back well before then.
