Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell has become a player that fans and teammates love to rally around, and for good reason. What many newer fans might not know, however, is that he’s not the first in his family to wear the purple and black.
Anthony Mitchell, Keaton’s father, played defensive back for the Ravens in his first three NFL seasons from 2000-02. A former undrafted free agent from Tuskegee University, Anthony had 91 total tackles and three interceptions – all of which came in 2002 – over his time in Baltimore. While never a star, he was still a solid role player throughout those three seasons.
Now over 20 years later, Keaton is suiting up for the same team his father did. In an awesome moment, Keaton showed off a photo of he and his dad holding up their Ravens jerseys on a recent Instagram story.
Keaton is following in his father’s footsteps in the best possible way, but he’s also forging his own path.
As a former undrafted free agent from East Carolina, Keaton became a surprise contributor in his 2023 rookie season, rushing for 396 yards and two touchdowns on an impressive 8.3 yards per carry in eight games. Unfortunately, he suffered a fully torn ACL late in the season that kept him out for almost a full calendar year.
He didn’t let that injury stop him, though. Keaton made his return in Week 10 of this season, though he didn’t play too much after that, with most of his action coming in a Week 17 blowout victory over the Houston Texans. Still, the fact he came back from such a severe injury at all is impressive.
Hopefully, with another year to heal, Keaton can re-claim his place in the Ravens’ offense as a home-run threat every time he touches the ball.
