The Baltimore Ravens have been dealing with injury woes at the wide receiver position this summer. And on Tuesday, they might have been dealt another blow as Rashod Bateman exited early with an apparent lower-body injury.
Bateman was working against cornerback Marcus Peters when he went down in pain after making a sharp cut with his right foot. The rookie first-round pick was grasping at his upper leg area as he walked off the field with a significant limp.
Bateman previously missed time this summer with muscle soreness. It’s unclear if the injuries are related, but he did just recently return following a brief absence.
The Ravens’ wide receiver corps has been hit hard with injuries in training camp. Marquise Brown hasn’t practiced for over a week, the same goes for Miles Boykin, and Deon Cain was recently added to the injury report.
They can ill afford another injury, especially to someone as important as Bateman.
The Ravens can’t afford to lose Rashod Bateman.
No update has been given so far on Bateman’s status, but if this is a reaggravation of his previous injury, it might just be best to shut him down for a week or two to make sure he’s good to go for the regular season.
It’s hardly an ideal situation given that the Ravens just got Lamar Jackson back from the COVID-19 list and the hope was that he would continue to build chemistry with his rookie receiver.
Now, as soon as Jackson has returned, Bateman might be taking another leave of absence.
Bateman is currently ranked 15th in preliminary Rookie of the Year odds as a +4000 longshot. If he misses any significant amount of time, those odds could plummet.
It’s unclear what the exact nature of the injury is. If it’s a groin injury, he could miss up to a month of action or longer. Or it could simply be a reaggregation of the muscle soreness he was previously dealing with.
The Ravens will be eagerly awaiting an update on his status.
Either way, it seems likely that the Ravens will head into their first preseason game without Bateman and perhaps a few other wide receivers.
The top remaining players on the depth chart are Sammy Watkins, Devin Duvernay, Tylan Wallace, and James Proche. Fortunately, this is the deepest receiving corps Baltimore has had in years.
Here’s to hoping that Rashod Bateman isn’t out for any significant period of time.
*UPDATE: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has reported that Bateman suffered a soft-tissue injury and that there is no structural damage.*