The Baltimore Ravens suffered their second losing record in John Harbaugh’s 14-year coaching tenure last season. As they look to rebound from an 8-9 campaign that concluded with a six-game losing streak, they could soon welcome back a massive piece of their offense.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Ronnie Stanley is on track to return this season after a promising medical check-up. They hope the All-Pro offensive tackle will be ready after missing all but one game to an ankle injury in 2021.
#Ravens All-Pro OT Ronnie Stanley received a medical check-up recently and he’s on pace to be ready for 2022, sources say. Stanley played just one game last year then had another ankle surgery. He’ll be monitored throughout the summer, but there is optimistic he’ll be good to go.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 25, 2022
This news also comes at a good time for Baltimore. Rapoport speculated that the Ravens may now have more flexibility to target the best player available with their first-round pick rather than bolster their offensive line.
The #Ravens pick at No. 14, and while they could go in several directions, the health of Ronnie Stanley could allow them to simply take the best player. https://t.co/zO5Nko4Ans
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 25, 2022
Stanley suffered a season-ending ankle injury during Week 8 of the 2020 season. He returned to play in Week 1 before re-aggravating his ankle and requiring another season-ending surgery.
Last month, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said he believes Stanley’s recovery is going better than last offseason.
“I feel like I can say Ronnie feels farther ahead now than he did at the same stage last year,” DeCosta told Clifton Brown of the team’s site. “He’s excited, he’s very optimistic, I think he’s working hard. As an organization, we’re very optimistic. As I said before, I’m not going to make the same mistake. We’ll have contingency plans moving forward. But we’re optimistic that Ronnie is making good progress.”
The No. 6 pick in 2016 has played just seven games since earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in 2019, but a successful comeback would be a welcome sight for Lamar Jackson and Co. When Stanley was last healthy, Baltimore boasted the NFL’s second-ranked offense during Jackson’s MVP campaign.
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