Ravens RB To Return To Practice This Week

The Baltimore Ravens' league-best rushing attack could get even scarier soon.

Nov 5, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell (34) celebrates his touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jessica Rapfogel-Imagn Images / Jessica Rapfogel-Imagn Images

It's been a long road back for Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell.

An undrafted free agent from East Carolina, Mitchell burst onto the scene last season with 396 rushing yards and two touchdowns while averaging over eight yards per carry as a rookie. Unfortunately, the 22-year-old suffered a torn ACL during a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Dec. 17. Not only did that obviously sideline him for the rest of last season, but he landed on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list to start this season.

While the Ravens march on, Mitchell has been hard at work in his recovery, and he's about to take another massive step forward. According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, the Ravens plan to open Mitchell's 21-day return window this week.

The Ravens are planning for RB Keaton Mitchell, who has been sidelined since sustaining a major knee injury last December, to start his three-week practice window this week, per sources. Mitchell has been on the PUP list to start the season.

— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) October 23, 2024

Before Ravens fans get too excited, Mitchell is still a ways away from returning to game action. Zrebiec adds that he'll need a multi-week ramp up process before playing again, but the fact that he's this close is a great sign.

Even without Mitchell, the Ravens' running game is by far the best in the league this season. Baltimore leads the NFL with 210.9 rushing yards per game, over 40 yards more than the next-closest team, the Philadelphia Eagles at 166.7 per game. Derrick Henry has been an absolute monster in his first season with the Ravens as he has a league-leading 873 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns, while Justice Hill is establishing himself as a strong receiving threat out of the backfield (which some view as an extension of the run game).

With Mitchell, the Ravens will have yet another home-run threat to torment opposing defenses with. If he returns to form after his devastating injury, then he has a chance to go the distance on nearly any given play.

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