Baltimore Ravens rookie wide receiver Rashod Bateman is in significant danger of missing the 2021 season opener — and possibly multiple games — after electing to undergo surgery to repair an injured groin.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh announced the surgery in his post-practice news conference Thursday: “Bateman is actually getting surgery tomorrow or [Saturday] on his groin.
He’ll be back from that sometime in September.”But there’s a big difference between returning in early September or late.
When will Rashod Bateman return from injury?
Bateman wrote on Instagram Wednesday that “The future is bright. … This is just a small bump in the road. My eyes are set on getting right back to help this team. Be back soon.”
But how soon?
It’s possible Bateman’s recovery period could last through the first four weeks of the season.
“There is a range of groin injuries, which impacts the length of expected recovery time,” Dr. Charles Metzger of Baptist Health Boca Raton Regional Hospital told Pro Football Network. “Having said that, surgeries are done in cases of significant injury, typically.”
Metzger estimated a recovery period between four to eight weeks, depending on what repairs were needed during surgery.
“As a wide receiver, he has a high risk of it being chronic if not allowed to fully heal,” Metzger added. “I would imagine that is why they did surgery — to move up the timeline. If they feel four weeks, that sounds optimistic.”
That seems to gibe with what Harbaugh told reporters Thursday. The Ravens coach said the surgery was actually a positive because it will allow Bateman to put the injury behind him.
Bateman’s groin injury could linger
The biggest question is how soon he’ll be able to do that. Regular-season games are certainly at risk.
The Ravens open the season September 13 against the Las Vegas Raiders. While it’s conceivable Bateman returns by then, it’s pretty unlikely. There’s a better chance he misses multiple games than none.
The Ravens play the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2, the Detroit Lions in Week 3, and the Denver Broncos in Week 4.
All of those games are presumably at risk if the timeline for recovery is indeed upward of eight weeks.
What’s this mean for Baltimore’s offense moving forward?
More work for James Proche II, who has emerged as a playmaker in his second NFL training camp. Proche was a sixth-round pick in 2020 and caught just 1 pass for 14 yards as a rookie. But he’s been the best receiver in Ravens camp, particularly with Marquise Brown dealing with a hamstring injury.
Still, the injury isn’t ideal for the Ravens, who we hear had been quite encouraged by Bateman’s work in training camp.
Bateman is a first-round pick (27th overall) out of Minnesota, where he was a two-time all-conference player. He caught 147 passes for 2,395 yards and 19 touchdowns in three collegiate seasons.
The Ravens do have the luxury of depth at the position. Beyond Bateman, Proche, and Brown (who had 8 touchdowns and averaged 13.3 yards per catch in 2020), the position group includes Sammy Watkins, who signed a one-year, $5 million contract in the offseason.
Watkins has 321 receptions for 4,665 yards and 33 touchdowns in a seven-year career that includes stops with the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, and Kansas City Chiefs.
Adam Beasley is the NFL Insider for Pro Football Network. You can read all of Adam’s work here and give him a follow on Twitter @AdamHBeasley.
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