Ravens running back Owen Wright suffered a broken foot in Saturday’s preseason finale against the Green Bay Packers, coach John Harbaugh said, thinning the team’s backfield depth and ending one of the best stories of training camp.
Wright left the field on a cart shortly after a 34-yard kickoff return midway through the second quarter of the 30-7 loss to Green Bay. He finished with three carries for 10 yards and three kickoff returns for 91 yards.
Wright, a Bethesda native who spent his rookie season on the practice squad after going undrafted out of Monmouth, was one of the surprises of camp. He outplayed fifth-round pick Rasheen Ali and had positioned himself to seize the third running back spot behind Derrick Henry and Justice Hill. Ali returned to practice Monday after suffering a stinger in the Ravens’ preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles but sat out their game against the Atlanta Falcons and wasn’t dressed for Saturday’s game.
With Wright’s injury, the Ravens could waive him ahead of Tuesday afternoon’s cut-down deadline and likely re-sign him to their practice squad. His timetable for a return is unknown, but most foot fractures require at least two months of rehabilitation. Keaton Mitchell is expected to assume a reserve role in the Ravens’ backfield this year, but he’s not expected to complete his knee rehab until midseason.
Rookie offensive lineman Nick Samac, who also entered Saturday’s game on the roster bubble, was carted off the field with an apparent lower-body injury. A seventh-round pick who started against Green Bay at center, Samac suffered his injury midway through the second quarter after an awkward collision in space on a 6-yard run by undrafted rookie running back Chris Collier. Harbaugh did not have an update on him after the game.
Samac did not appear to be limping after the game.
Samac had started slowly in offseason workouts and training camp as he recovered from a broken fibula, suffered late last season while playing for Michigan State, and an ankle injury. But his play had surged in recent weeks, earning him snaps as the first-team center this week in place of the injured Tyler Linderbaum (neck). Harbaugh said he “made a big move this last week.”
“I think his ankle is feeling better, finally,” Harbaugh said Monday. “He had the ankle injury there, and it probably did hamper him up until now. And he played well in the game. He was stout at the point of attack and had an opportunity because of Tyler not practicing, and we wanted to get Ben [Cleveland] some reps at guard. He had an opportunity to get in there and do some stuff, so I thought he did a good job today, and he did a good job in the game [last Saturday against the Atlanta Falcons].”
Cornerback Trayvon Mullen, a long shot to make the roster, suffered an apparent dislocated shoulder, Harbaugh said. Mullen injured his shoulder during camp July 27 and only returned on Aug. 9.
Linebackers Yvandy Rigby and Deion Jennings left the game with injuries. Rigby returned, but Jennings did not. He was seen being helped down the hall outside the locker room.
Defensive back Christian Matthew, who previously missed time during training camp, left the game as well.
