The Baltimore Ravens were hoping to see the returns of wide receivers Rashod Bateman and Miles Boykin in Week 5. Both players have been on the injured reserve all season and each was expected to return in the near future.
But while Boykin is expected to make his 2021 debut this week against the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football, Bateman’s debut will have to wait at least another week.
The Ravens announced on Monday that they had activated Boykin off IR ahead of their Monday night game. But Bateman, who has been sidelined since early/mid-August after undergoing core-muscle surgery, remains on IR.
Both Boykin and Bateman returned to practice a couple of weeks ago opening up the possibility for them to return. However, only one of them will follow through this week.
The Ravens will see the return of Miles Boykin but not Rashod Bateman
A third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Boykin has underwhelmed in his two seasons with the team. Despite ample opportunities, he’s hauled in just 32 catches for 464 yards in 32 career games.
There was even some talk of Boykin being on the roster bubble this summer, especially following the emergence of James Proche. But the Ravens evidently still have some faith in Boykin.
It’s unclear whether or not he’ll actually have a role on offense, but expect him to at least contribute on special teams.
Elsewhere, the Ravens elevated offensive tackle Andre Smith from the practice squad as a COVID-19 replacement (for Jaylon Ferguson) as well as safety Jordan Richards.
Those moves hint at a few things for Baltimore. For starters, the decision to only promote one offensive tackle indicates that Alejandro Villanueva should be active and will likely start at left tackle despite missing most of the week with a knee injury.
It’s also worth noting that Le’Veon Bell was not activated after he made his Ravens debut a week ago. This means that Ty’Son Williams, who was a healthy scratch last week, should play.
The Ravens are happy to be getting some reinforcements at the wide receiver position. Fans will be eagerly awaiting the NFL debut of the team’s rookie first-round pick, Rashod Bateman, in the very near future.