The Baltimore Ravens offense hinges on two starters returning to elite form in 2022: Lamar Jackson and Ronnie Stanley.
Jackson has been working hard to get back into game-ready shape and should feature in the starting lineup come Week 1. Stanley, who practiced for the first time on Monday, is more of a question mark for Week 1 as the Ravens continue to pray for a healthy recovery.
If and when Stanley is deemed ready to go, Baltimore hopes Stanley can replicate his production from his 2019 All-Pro and Pro-Bowl year, though that’s much easier said than done.
After emerging as arguably the best left tackle in the league in 2019, Stanley has played just one game over the two years. Having a healthy Ronnie Stanley in the lineup is one thing, but having an in-form Ronnie Stanley is another. What version of Stanley will the Ravens get in 2022?
If Ronnie Stanley and Lamar Jackson play even 14 healthy games together, the rest of the league is gonna have problems.
— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) September 5, 2022
Ravens are banking on Ronnie Stanley to return to dominance in 2022
Behind Stanley, the Ravens unfortunately don’t have many starting-caliber options. Ja’Wuan James has been touted as Stanley’s potential backup, yet James’ own troubling injury history makes him more of a liability than a consistent stopgap on the left side.
The Ravens were plagued all of last season by offensive line issues, and a key part of their success this year will be eliminating those issues, starting with Stanley’s highly anticipated return.
With Week 1 just around the corner, the Ravens are hoping Stanley can feature in the season-opener yet also don’t want to recreate last year’s sticky situation. In 2021, Stanley was rushed onto the field, suffered a setback, and chose to undergo season-ending surgery.
Seeing Stanley finally practice with the team is at least a promising sign in 2022.
For now, Stanley joins running back J.K. Dobbins as two of the team’s important starters racing against the clock to play in Week 1.