Ravens: Rashod Bateman injury is a major blow to the offense

The Baltimore Ravens feared the worst when wide receiver Rashod Bateman went down with a potential groin/hamstring injury. And while the injury isn’t quite as bad as it could have been, the team is still preparing to be without him for some time.

Head coach John Harbaugh gave updates on a variety of injuries following Wednesday’s practice, and the update he gave for Bateman was bittersweet.

While there isn’t any structural damage — meaning he won’t be out for months — Bateman is still dealing with a soft tissue injury in his leg which will keep him sidelined for at least a few weeks.

Bateman went down during Tuesday’s practice after getting tangled up with cornerback Marcus Peters. He immediately appeared to be in significant pain and he required help getting off the field.

Even though he won’t be out for months, his injury will have an adverse effect on the offense.

Rashod Bateman’s injury could hinder his development and the Ravens offense

Bateman has quickly made a strong first impression this offseason. He was one of the stars of OTAs and minicamp and he carried over that momentum into training camp.

Unfortunately, he didn’t get much of an opportunity to work with Lamar Jackson as the former MVP tested positive for COVID-19 and missed pretty much the first two weeks of camp.

Now that Jackson is back, Bateman will be out for an extended period of time.

It’s never ideal for a rookie to miss any significant time in training camp, especially when that rookie is trying to establish chemistry with his quarterback.

But that’s the situation that Bateman and the Ravens find themselves in.

The Ravens did a good job of bolstering their wide receiver depth this offseason, but without Bateman, that depth will be tested. Especially with both Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin still sidelined.

Bateman is an integral part of the offense and many were hoping to see him hit the ground running early in the season. Now, it might take a little while for him to get going.

He’ll be starting behind the eight ball when it comes to reps and it’ll likely take some time before he gets into a rhythm with Jackson.

Rashod Bateman’s injury hurts the Ravens in more than one way. Even if he is back in time for Week 1, his absence might just be felt for weeks into the regular season.