Ravens have to love Vega Ioane's warrior mentality after reported MCL sprain

Vega Ioane is a warrior. On Tuesday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Ioane suffered an MCL sprain in the Baltimore Ravens’ Week 7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Four days later, Ioane was already back at practice in limited capacity.

It’s expected Ioane will miss a short time; he still could. His Week 8 status may remain an uphill climb, and Baltimore will then have to turn around to face the Jacksonville Jaguars in a short week on Thursday Night Football. One missed game could quickly turn to two.

However, Ioane’s recovery has been nothing short of remarkable. Jesse Minter alluded to the rookie having a shot to play on Sunday, and while it seemed unbelievable, Thursday was the first major sign he really could return.

Even if he doesn’t play, Ioane’s toughness is insanely impressive. He’s only in his first NFL season, and he’s already showcasing the mentality of a seasoned vet.

Baltimore Ravens are watching Vega Ioane make encouraging progress in recovery

For context, the mildest MCL sprains usually keep players off the field for one to three weeks. Ioane missed just one day of practice. He’s built different.

Granted, Ioane had a massive knee brace and appeared to move with a slight limp. That’s expected, though. The fact he was practicing speaks to who he is — he’s willing to do whatever it takes to get back on the field and help his team win.

The 22-year-old’s ability was already unquestionable; he’s already showing signs of a franchise guard. However, Ioane’s mindset is in a league of its own.

After practice, Ioane spoke about where his head’s at as he works his way back.

“It’s just a mentality thing…Things go bad; you wanna fight and get back as fast as you can, no matter how long it takes,” Ioane said. “I know my body. If I’m ready to go, I’m ready to go.”

That’s the player you want in the trenches. It’s an unforgiving game when you’re fighting for every inch up front. The harsh reality for offensive linemen is they’ll never be 100 percent for the full 17-game slate. They’ll have plenty of battle scars by year’s end.

Every down is brutal — you need an insane pain tolerance and an undying will to win. Clearly, Ioane has that.

Ravens need all the help they can get up front

Vega Ioane’s recovery is desperately needed, too. The Ravens can’t go long without him because the right guard spot will be in huge trouble.

Andrew Vorhees and Emery Jones Jr. aren’t good enough. It’s likely one of them will have to start against the Buffalo Bills, but hopefully it’s not more than one game.

Vorhees was horrendous last year, and in 223 snaps, Jones has already allowed 4 sacks and 5 pressures. Neither of those guys is trustworthy.

In a perfect world, Ioane kicks it into high gear and doesn’t miss a game. While that scenario might be unlikely, there’s at least a chance Ioane makes it a reality.

We’ve seen offensive linemen play through worse before. Notably, Joe Thomas played through three MCL tears and two ankle sprains in his career. It’s possible Ioane could play through an MCL sprain.

Obviously, Thomas is one of the toughest players of all time and a Hall of Famer, but based on what we’ve seen since his time at Penn State, Ioane is flashing similar toughness.

And with Lamar Jackson nearing his return from a high ankle sprain, the pass protection needs to be better than ever. A breakdown at right guard led to Jackson’s Week 4 injury. That can’t happen again.

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