The Ravens' wide receiver corps and offense took a big hit when Rashod Bateman went on the shelf with a season-ending foot injury and surgery.
The outlook for 2023, however, sounds encouraging.
While the Ravens know full well from the 2022 season that players coming back from season-ending injuries need ample time to get back to their former selves, Bateman has a head start.
"He's going to be ready really soon to run full speed," Head Coach John Harbaugh said Thursday. "He's going to have a great offseason. He's going to be up and running."
Harbaugh said his understanding is that the screws in Bateman's surgically-repaired foot can come out, but that they don't have to.
Former Ravens wide receiver Marquise Brown also had Lisfranc surgery before his rookie year and didn't get the screws taken out until after his first season. He said he could still feel the impacts through that year, and felt better after they had been removed.
Bateman recently posted a photo on Instagram of his healing foot.
If Bateman is able to be back full-go this summer and before the start of the season, that would make a huge difference for Baltimore's wide receiver corps in 2023. Bateman got off to a hot start with eight catches for 226 yards and two touchdowns in the Ravens' first three games before suffering his injury in Week 4.
General Manager Eric DeCosta also reported that he knows of just one player, at least as of right now, that is going to have offseason surgery. He did not reveal who that player is.
Harbaugh said he was pleased with the updated injury prevention program this past year, and it puts them in good shape in terms of preparation for next season.
"At the end of the year, you always have a bunch of guys who are having surgeries and clean-ups and various things," DeCosta said. "We only have one guy, so if you're going to look for a real positive this year and moving forward into the offseason program, that's a huge positive."
