Outside linebacker David Ojabo underwent surgery to repair a partially-torn ACL and will not return until next season, Head Coach John Harbaugh said Monday.
Ojabo has not played since Week 3 and had hoped to return at some point this season. However, the decision was made to have surgery, giving the second-year player a chance to begin the 2024 season at full strength. Ojabo finished with six tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble for the season.
"David Ojabo had surgery last week, actually in L.A., to repair a partially-torn ACL," Harbaugh said. "He had to make a decision about it, in terms of whether to risk it or not. Every medical expert said to get it fixed. He wanted to play, but even I told him, 'Man, you've got to get that right for the rest of your career,' because it's a clean type of surgery.
"He'll be rolling again, training camp at the latest."
It's the second straight season that Ojabo has dealt with a serious injury. He tore his Achilles at his Michigan Pro Day before the 2022 draft and would have undoubtedly been a first-round pick if not for that setback.
Baltimore selected Ojabo in the second round (No. 45 overall) and he began his rookie season on injured reserve. He was activated on Nov. 1 of and appeared in two games with a forced fumble.
Ojabo began this season healthy and hoped to be a major part of the Ravens' pass rush, but Baltimore has still managed to lead the league in sacks (47) without him in the lineup.
Defensive Coordinator Mike Macdonald coached Ojabo at Michigan and maintains full confidence in his potential once he gets healthy.
"He's going to have a great career," Macdonald said. "Obviously you feel for him the way his career has started. He's dealing with adversity right now, so he needs our support and he has it."
In other injury news, Harbaugh said outside linebacker Tyus Bowser still hopes to return, but his knee has not allowed him to practice. Bowser has been on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury List all season.
"Tyus is just trying to get the knee where it can basically handle the loading, the swelling and stuff like that," Harbaugh said. "It's just kind of an angry knee. We really haven't been told exactly. It's kind of a little bit of a hard one to decipher, that's why I haven't been clear with it. When it calms down enough, he's going to be back playing. I know he's working toward that.
"If and when we get him back, it will be a huge bonus for us. He's just not ready to start his (21-day) clock yet, physically. If he was ready to start his clock, I think we'd put him out there and get going with it, especially at this point in time. We're just not there with the knee."
