Ravens running back won't be back from injury in time to play Chiefs in Week 1

The Baltimore Ravens will still be missing Keaton Mitchell when they visit Kansas City to open the NFL season.

The Baltimore Ravens lean on the effectiveness of their rushing attack early and often, which is why they profile so well as a tough, physical opponent for a team like the Kansas City Chiefs. When the teams meet up in Week 1 to kick off the NFL's regular season for '24, however, the Ravens won't be at full strength in the backfield just yet.

According to NFL reporter Jeff Zrebiec, who covers the Ravens, running back Keaton Mitchell is still months away from being ready to return to play and that he officially will not be ready for Week 1 against Kansas City.

It's possible to overlook Mitchell's absence in the backfield—it's happened to him several times before—but that would be a mistake. Every team passed on him several times over in the 2023 NFL Draft and he had to sign as a rookie free agent with Baltimore following draft weekend in Kansas City. However, Pro Football Focus hailed the move and called him a sleeper coming into the regular season.

Keaton was injured to start the year, but he was activated by October and ended up with 47 carries for 396 yards and 2 touchdowns in only 8 games for Baltimore. In his first start, he had 9 carries for 138 yards in a dominating win over the Seattle Seahawks. Then just as he was working himself into an important part of the Ravens' rushing attack, he suffered a torn ACL that sidelined him for the rest of the year.

Mitchell is a safe bet to return and help the Ravens, but they'll move forward with the newly-signed Derrick Henry and Justice Hill as their primary backs in Week 1 against the Chiefs.