OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The recovery timeline has come into focus for Ravens rookie receiver Rashod Bateman.
"He is actually getting a surgery on his groin. He’ll be back from that sometime in September," said Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh after Thursday's practice.
Bateman was the team’s latest receiver to get hurt when he injured the groin on Tuesday. Marquise Brown (hamstring), Miles Boykin (hamstring) and Deon Cain are all still out and will miss Saturday’s preseason opener against the New Orleans Saints.
It’s not known how much Lamar Jackson will play on Saturday, if at all. Harbaugh said he knows the plan for Lamar but won’t share that.
What Harbaugh will share are his feelings on getting eyes on his players live, in action against an opponent, while in front of fans inside M&T Bank Stadium.
"You can’t wait to see the guys in a game setting," he said. "It’s time. We’re ready. Been ready for a few days."
"It’s going to be electric. We don’t have to bring our own energy anymore, which gets tiring, and then try to play a game," said defensive tackle Brandon Williams regarding playing in front of fans. "So, having that heartbeat back, it’s going to be live in there. It’s going to be awesome."
And the Ravens will have an opportunity to add to their preseason winning streak for the first time since 2019. Baltimore has been the victor in 17 consecutive preseason contests. There were no preseason games played last year. The streak isn’t really a rallying cry among the players. Williams had no idea about it until Thursday.
"Wow that’s a long time," he said. "From the standard here you know what’s expected so you just got to get it done."
"It means a lot. Whether it’s a winning streak or the idea of how you approach the games," added Harbaugh. "So, I just think it’s a credit to the players, in terms of preparation, and the coaches over the years in terms of we run a good training camp and offseason program and guys are ready to play."
Harbaugh was definitely ready to coach up his players during his team's final practice before the preseason opener. There were some animated conversations between Harbaugh and the defensive backs towards the end of practice.
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