The Ravens are getting a needed piece back at receiver, and the timing could not be much better.
Ja’Kobi Lane is expected to be available Sunday against the Cleveland Browns after a week of full practice, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, who said Lane is “good to go.” Baltimore still listed the rookie as questionable on its final injury report, but the signs point toward him returning after a wrist injury that has kept him out since the opener.
Lane hurt his wrist in Baltimore’s season-opening win over the Indianapolis Colts, then had surgery and landed on injured reserve September 16. He missed four straight games, clearing the NFL’s minimum injured-reserve absence before the Ravens activated him earlier this week and opened the door for him to rejoin full practices.
His return would come at a critical spot for a Ravens offense dealing with major absences elsewhere. Baltimore will be without quarterback Lamar Jackson and center Cam Jurgens against Cleveland. Jackson is out with an ankle injury, and Jurgens remains in concussion protocol.
The injury list doesn’t stop there. Tight end Matthew Hibner and defensive lineman Broderick Washington have also been ruled out, and several other Ravens showed up on the report during the week.
Before the injury, Lane gave Baltimore a quick glimpse of what he can add. In his NFL debut against Indianapolis, he caught one pass for 11 yards before going down. That’s a small sample, but it was enough to leave the Ravens wanting more from the rookie.
Head coach Jesse Minter had also spoken highly of Lane’s conditioning and preparation during his recovery, a nod to how the rookie handled the rehab process.
Whether Lane is ultimately active will come down to the team’s game-day decisions, but Fowler’s update gives Baltimore real reason to expect him back in uniform as it tries to get through a tough AFC North matchup.
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