Raven Country

Ravens Place All-Pro Returner on IR

The Baltimore Ravens will be without their leading return specialist for a few weeks.

Jon Alfano

Sep 29, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Deonte Harty (3) after the game against the Buffalo Bills at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Sep 29, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Deonte Harty (3) after the game against the Buffalo Bills at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
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The Baltimore Ravens have placed leading return specialist Deonte Harty on injured reserve, head coach John Harbaugh announced Saturday. He will miss at least the next four games as a result, though he is expected to return this season.

Harty, 26 signed with his hometown team this offseason and has handled most of the return duties. In five games (he didn't play in Week 5 against the Cincinnati Bengals), he's returned eight punts for 85 yards (10.6 yards on average) and four kickoffs for 98 yards (24.5 yards on average).

The former undrafted free agent spent his first four NFL seasons with the New Orleans Saints, where he earned a first-team All-Pro nod as a rookie after recording a league-best 338 yards and a touchdown on 36 punt returns. He never reached quite those same heights in New Orleans, but remained a strong return man until his departure.

Last season, Harty enjoyed another strong campaign in his one and only season with the Buffalo Bills. He finished the season with 323 yards on 26 punt returns, but his highlight came when he scored a 96-yard touchdown in the regular-season finale against the Miami Dolphins. That touchdown tied the game in the fourth quarter, and ultimately helped Buffalo win its fourth-straight AFC East title.

Harty's first few months in Baltimore have sadly not gone as well as he would've hoped. Not only has he dealt with multiple injuries, but he missed time during the offseason as his newborn daughter dealt with a scary medical situation. Still, the Ravens believe he's the right guy for the job, as special teams coordinator Chris Horton confirmed that he's still the starting return man.

With Harty out, Tylan Wallace, who scored his first punt return touchdown last season, will likely field punts. Kickoffs are more up in the air (assuming they don't also use Wallace for them), but Justice Hill is a good candidate as the primary returner.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

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