Ravens LT Ronnie Stanley expected to be healthy and ready for 2022

The Baltimore Ravens received a bit of good news regarding star left tackle Ronnie Stanley on Monday. The hope right now is that he will return ready and healthy for the start of the 2022 season.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Monday that Stanley is “on pace to be ready for 2022” after receiving a recent medical check-up.

Of course, after last year’s debacle that saw Stanley return from injury only to appear in just one game before being shut down, any positive updates will be taken with a grain of salt.

The Ravens shouldn’t bank on Stanley being healthy in 2022, but positive updates are still positive updates. It’s always nice to hear that a player is recovering in a timely fashion.

The Ravens hope to see a rejuvenated Ronnie Stanley in 2022

The sixth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Stanley began to emerge as one of the best left tackles in the NFL after just a few years. He was rewarded for his efforts with a massive five-year, $112.8 million extension in October of 2020.

The deal made Stanley the highest-paid offensive lineman in the NFL and seemingly secured the Ravens with a franchise left tackle for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, things haven’t exactly gone as planned since.

Stanley suffered a serious ankle injury just a couple of days after signing the extension and was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the season. The former Notre Dame star spent the offseason rehabbing and did make it back in time for Week 1.

However, it quickly became apparent that the Ronnie Stanley the Ravens saw in Week 1 of 2021 was not the same Ronnie Stanley they had seen the last time he was on the field.

Stanley struggled mightily in his first game back and wouldn’t play another game for the team that season.  Since his injury over a year and a half ago, Stanley has played just one game.

The Ravens are certainly hoping to see a healthy Stanely return this season, and more positive updates like this one are always encouraged. But as they learned last year, they can’t rely on a successful rehab period.

Ronnie Stanley looks primed to return in 2022, but until he steps foot on that field and proves it, Ravens fans will continue to hold their breath.