Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell’s return from season-ending knee surgery is on schedule, coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday. But it’s a long schedule.
Mitchell is expected to be cleared “sometime during the season,” Harbaugh said after practice, though he indicated a return during this summer’s training camp is unexpected. As an undrafted rookie last year, Mitchell had 47 rushes for 396 yards and two touchdowns in eight games. His rushing average (8.4 yards per carry) was first among all running backs with at least 40 carries last season.
“So it’s not, like, right around the corner,” Harbaugh said of Mitchell’s return. “We shouldn’t be biting our fingernails, [wondering,] ‘Is he going to get back?’ But I will say, he’s on schedule, maybe ahead of schedule. He’s doing really well.”
Mitchell watched Wednesday’s organized team activities from the sideline, and Harbaugh said he’s expected to start jogging on an antigravity treadmill next week. “So that’s a positive thing,” he said, “and see where it goes.”
Mitchell hurt his knee in a Week 15 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in mid-December, when he had nine carries for 73 yards. The Ravens bolstered their running back room this offseason with the signing of four-time Pro Bowl pick Derrick Henry and the drafting of Marshall running back Rasheen Ali, a fifth-round selection. Justice Hill, who had career highs as a rusher (387 yards) and receiver (206 yards), will also be a fixture in the rotation.
