Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell became a bit of a fan favorite in 2023, averaging more than eight yards per carry after making the roster as an undrafted free agent.
Unfortunately, his promising rookie season came to a brutal and premature end. The East Carolina product fully tore his ACL in a Week 15 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, and he would spend nearly an entire calendar year rehabbing that injury.
Mitchell made his return on Nov. 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals, though it was clear to see he wasn’t fully healthy just yet. He only took a total of 36 offensive snaps in the regular season – most of them coming in the final two games of the season, both blowout wins – and he mostly appeared on special teams.
Derrick Henry and Justice Hill more than held their own in the backfield, but it was a bit disappointing that Mitchell couldn’t make an immediate impact upon returning.
That should not be the case this season, however. More than a full year after Mitchell’s injury, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh expects Mitchell to be back at full strength when offseason workouts begin soon.
“I do think [Mitchell] has been on schedule; he’s been on track,” Harbaugh told reporters at the NFL Owners meeting. “That was a really tough injury. So, the fact that he got back when he did was, to me, almost miraculous that he was out there playing at all. I’m almost certain, as much as you can be sure, he’s going to be [on] a whole other level coming back in the spring and then again into training camp, because he is going to be a year and a half out of that deal.
“So, this will be his second year. Most knee injuries, it’s your second year, this one, I think that’s especially true about it.”
Even with Henry being the workhorse and Hill being a valuable blocking and receiving back, Mitchell will still have a place in the backfield. When healthy, his blazing speed makes him a threat to go the distance every time he touches the ball.
If Mitchell truly is back at full strength, the Ravens’ backfield, which was arguably the best in the league already, will be that much more dangerous.
