The Baltimore Ravens suffered a crushing loss in their season-opener against the Buffalo Bills, but they managed to get back on track with a 41-17 demolition of the Cleveland Browns in Week 2. Now, they have a highly anticipated Monday Night Football clash with the Detroit Lions on their slate in Week 3.
Aside from the fact that the Ravens collapsed late against the Bills, they have looked like one of the top teams in the league. In fact, their roster is so strong that talented running back Keaton Mitchell can’t even find a way to get himself on the field, which is something head coach John Harbaugh addressed ahead of the team’s upcoming game.
John Harbaugh Drops Keaton Mitchell Truth Bomb
Mitchell didn’t get selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, but he ended up finding his way to the Ravens as an undrafted free agent. In limited action as a rookie, Mitchell starred for Baltimore, racking up 396 yards and two touchdowns on just 47 carries, good for a mind-boggling 8.4 yards per carry. His season ended up getting cut short, though, after he tore his ACL in Week 15.
In 2024, Mitchell missed the majority of the season recovering from his aforementioned injury, but once he did return, he found himself without any snaps because the team signed Derrick Henry over the offseason to come in and be their starting running back. With a full offseason of work, though, the hope was that Mitchell could return to form and emerge as an effective option to fill in for Henry when he needs a breather.
Instead, Mitchell has been inactive for each of Baltimore’s first two games, with Justice Hill and Rasheen Ali working as the top options behind Henry. It doesn’t seem like Mitchell is going to magically be active in Week 3, either, which led Harbaugh to discuss the talented 23-year-old running back’s standing with the team moving forward.
“We have so many backs, you’d be scheming him in for certain plays, but he would help us on special teams. He would help us on offense. We just don’t have the spot right now,” Harbaugh admitted when discussing Mitchell. “I guess in some ways, that’s a good problem to have, but I would much rather see him out there and see him active on gameday.”
Ravens Looking to Prevail in Heavyweight Battle with Lions
GettyBaltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
As of right now, it seems like the only way Mitchell could find his way onto the field is if one of the three running backs ahead of him on the depth chart gets injured. Having him as a No. 4 option is certainly a luxury, but at some point, the team is going to have to find a way to get him on the field and see what he has to offer.
It doesn’t seem like that will happen in Week 3, though, as Harbaugh and the coaching staff are set to continue leaning on Henry, Hill, and Ali as their running back trio. With Henry set to get the majority of the snaps out of the backfield, the team will be hoping for a big game from him, as they may need it if they intend to beat the Lions. Kickoff for this Monday night clash is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET.
Ravens’ John Harbaugh Shares Update on Speedy RB Keaton Mitchell Before MNF