Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell was in the midst of a historic efficiency season, averaging a ridiculous 8.4 yards per carry before he tore his ACL against the Jaguars and missed the rest of the season.
Mitchell remains on the reserve/PUP list, still recovering from his ACL tear, which he picked up on December 17, 2023.
Will Mitchell return this season? If so, when will he be back for the Ravens? Let's dive in.
Given that Mitchell's injury occurred so late in the season, it's unlikely he will return to the football field soon. It's unknown what the exact timetable is, but it's safe to assume he won't see the field in September. Sometime late October is the earliest we could see Mitchell. The good news is he's progressing well in his recovery.
Straight-line speed usually returns before the ability to cut and juke for running backs recovering from ACL tears, so it's not surprising that we see this update first.
That being said, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has been overall essentially non-committal about Mitchell's return date. But he will return this season.
When Mitchell does return, it's difficult to say how he'll perform. He tore his ACL so late in the year that he almost certainly won't be 100% this year. Mitchell doesn't necessarily need to be 100% to return value for fantasy managers, but it's difficult to imagine him making more plays like this before 2025.
He's more likely to get close to his absolute top-end speed at some point in 2024, but very sharp cuts like that will be more difficult for him to pull off if the plant leg is the one where he suffered the torn ACL. It takes a long time for this injury to heal fully, and running backs usually experience a dip in production one-year post-tear.
The Ravens now have Derrick Henry, and once Mitchell returns, it'll likely be a three-way committee with Henry having the most touches and Mitchell and Hill gaining single-digit touches per game. Mitchell could flirt with double-digit touches as his recovery progresses, but it will be an uphill battle.
It will be tough for Mitchell to return much value for fantasy managers this season. That being said, he's one of the few running backs who can be fantasy-relevant on so few touches. The Ravens' offensive line has taken a major step back this season, however.
In 2023, the Ravens had one of the best run-blocking offensive lines in the league, and that hasn't been the case this year. The Ravens lost three starters on the offensive line in the offseason and they haven't been nearly as good this season. Mitchell should be targeted in the later rounds of the 2025 draft.
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