Ravens Insider: Ravens RB Keaton Mitchell suffers likely season-ending knee injury vs. Jaguars; LT Ronnie Stanley in concussion protocol

[ExtremeRavens]

In the middle of another standout performance, Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell suffered a likely season-ending knee injury.

“It’s going to be a serious injury,” coach John Harbaugh said after Sunday night’s 23-7 win against the Jaguars in Jacksonville, Florida. “It looks like he won’t be back for the rest of the season.”

Mitchell, the undrafted rookie who quickly became one of the team’s most important playmakers, went down at the end of a 13-yard run early in the fourth quarter. His left leg buckled as he was tripped up from behind, and he immediately grabbed his left knee. Trainers rushed onto the field to attend to Mitchell, and he was carried to the blue medical tent on the sideline before being put on a cart. The Ravens ruled him out soon after.

Mitchell, who had nine carries for 73 yards and two catches for 15 yards before exiting, gave a thumbs-up while being carted to the locker room.

“He’s such a dynamic player,” NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth said on the broadcast after Mitchell exited. “Everyone on the Ravens, their entire organization, they just love the guy.”

Harbaugh said 30-year-old veteran Melvin Gordon III, who signed to the practice squad before the season and has 13 carries for 53 yards in two games, will likely be elevated from the practice squad in Mitchell’s absence. The Ravens lost starter J.K. Dobbins to a season-ending torn Achilles tendon in the season opener.

A former star at East Carolina and the son of a former Ravens playoff hero, Mitchell had 396 rushing yards and 93 receiving yards in eight games this season. He missed the first five games after suffering a shoulder injury in the preseason.

Meanwhile, Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley exited early in the fourth quarter after colliding with a Jaguars defender on a 20-yard run by running back Gus Edwards. Stanley’s helmet made contact with the defender, and he left the field and entered the blue medical tent. He exited the tent without a helmet and was placed in concussion protocol, according to the team.

The NFL’s concussion protocol requires a player to complete five phases of activity — beginning with stretching and balancing activities — before he can return to play. Players must be cleared by the team’s physician, as well as an unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant who operates independently of the team. The process can take just a few days, but it can also last several weeks, depending on the case.

This story will be updated.

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