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Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman is raring to compensate for lost time. He has played only 18 games since the team selected him 27th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. A groin injury sidelined him for the first five games of his rookie season, where he finished with 46 receptions for 515 yards and a touchdown.
Despite the missed time, the Minnesota product ranked third in receiving that year behind Mark Andrews and Marquise Brown.
But if he is to bounce back with a breakout 2023 season, the 2019 First Team All-Big Ten must first recover from the Lisfranc injury initially suffered in the 2022 Week 3 game against the New England Patriots. Bateman finished with two catches for 59 yards in that contest. He still suited up in the games against the Buffalo Bills and the Cleveland Browns after; however, the injury lingered again in the match against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, forcing him to leave in the second quarter.
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Will Rashod Bateman Be Ready By Training Camp?
The Ravens announced last November that Bateman would undergo season-ending surgery. Recently, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta shared that the Georgia native is “doing really well” in his recovery. However, his positive progress does not guarantee he will be at full strength come training camp. Typically, players who undergo this injury take a nine-to-12-month hiatus before returning.
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne sat out what would have been his rookie season due to the same injury. Carolina Panthers quarterback Matt Corral and Dallas Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis also had the same fate in 2022.
A Tricky Injury
Lisfranc injuries take time to heal because it involves multiple joints that link the entire foot. While it’s a rare injury, athletes can suffer if they turn quickly after planting their foot on the playing surface. That’s why shifty players are at risk of this injury. Midfoot pain is one of its immediate symptoms, with swelling and bruising occurring after several hours. Worst yet, those dealing with it may find it hard to balance or even put weight on their foot.
The injury’s severity will help determine the appropriate recovery timetable. After surgery, the player must undergo therapy to restore the foot’s stability. Unfortunately, the damage may reoccur, and the joints may remain painful. That possibility makes trainers remain cautious and patient in dealing with Lisfranc.
Using the typical timeline of Bateman’s situation, he may have a clean bill of health as early as August when training camps have started. Therefore, he might join the Ravens at camp but will only participate in light exercises and movement. But if complications arise, he may need a full year before returning to game shape. If his return gets delayed, the Ravens might even put him on injured reserve to start the 2023 season.
His recovery will also depend on how the Ravens’ strength and conditioning team works on him. Unfortunately, Baltimore is getting heavy pushback after a survey by the NFL Players Association revealed an F-grade for their strength coaches. Former Ravens players alluded to the result through response tweets, and the team already fired Steve Saunders as their chief strength coach.
Bateman finished the 2022 season with 15 receptions for 285 yards and two touchdowns in six games. In a now-deleted tweet, he also voiced his sentiments regarding DeCosta’s statement on struggling to get high-caliber receivers through the draft.
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