Keaton Mitchell has become an integral part of the Baltimore Ravens offense. He had nine carries for 73 yards in their 2023 Week 15 Sunday Night Football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, those stats occurred before he suffered a gruesome knee injury, forcing him to be taken off the field with assistance.
The Ravens had first-and-10 on their 24-yard line with 13:32 left in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Lamar Jackson handed the ball to Mitchell, who found the gap in the Jaguars' defense by bouncing to his right. Safety Andrew Wingard tackled him after he got the first down.
Unfortunately, he lay motionless on the EverBank Stadium turf after the play. NBC also declined to show the replay of what looked like a gruesome injury. Mitchell was carried to the sideline before being carted to the locker room for further evaluation.
Keaton Mitchell’s knee buckled and they said they aren’t going to show the replay. Wishing him a speedy recovery pic.twitter.com/BZtPagJIME
— Bussin' With The Boys (@BussinWTB) December 18, 2023
While the SNF broadcast crew skipped the replay, it was evident on the video that Mitchell’s knee bent abnormally. Luckily for the Ravens, the Jaguars’ miscues led to a 23-7 victory, clinching a spot in the AFC playoffs.
However, Baltimore might proceed with their campaign without Mitchell. In the post-game press conference, Ravens coach John Harbaugh shared that Mitchell’s injury could be a season-ending one.
That potentially halts the promising rookie season of the undrafted free agent from East Carolina. Before the Jaguars game, Mitchell had nine carries for 54 yards against the Los Angeles Rams. He also had 64 yards in Week 13 versus the Los Angeles Chargers.
He has 47 carries for 396 yards and two touchdowns in eight games. But since he did not have any rushing attempts in their games against the Tennessee Titans and the Detroit Lions, Mitchell has averaged a solid 66 yards per game. He also had double-digit fantasy points (PPR) in four of the last six weeks.
That’s an impressive feat, considering the Ravens have backfield options like Gus Edwards, Justice Hill, and Jackson. With Mitchell potentially out of the season, re-signed player Melvin Gordon III will try to compensate for his production.
-Lance Fernandez