Ravens place RB Keaton Mitchell on Physically Unable to Perform list

The Baltimore Ravens announced a trio of roster transactions on Monday with the most expected and unsurprising move being the placement of second-year running back Keaton Mitchell on the Physically Unable to Perform list.

All rookies reported to training camp over the weekend on Saturday and on Monday, quarterbacks and injured returning players reported to the Under Armour Performance Center as well.

The reason Mitchell’s placement on this list shouldn’t come as a surprise is that he suffered the torn ACL that ended his electric rookie campaign late in the 2023 season on Dec. 17 in Week 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Back in May, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told reporters Mitchell is on track to return to the field “sometime during the season.”

“But I will say he’s on schedule, maybe ahead of schedule. He’s doing really well,” Harbaugh said. “He’s always got a smile on his face. He’s going to start jogging on the Alter-G (treadmill) next week. So that’s a positive thing and we’ll see where it goes.”

If Mitchell remains on the PUP list throughout training camp, he will be eligible for placement on the active PUP list which means he will have to miss at least the first four games of the 2024 season.

Prior to suffering his season-ending knee injury, Mitchell burst onto the scene and established himself as one of the most explosive playmakers not just on the Ravens’ revamped offense but in the entire league as a whole. The undrafted gem’s combination of blazing speed, vision and impeccable contact balance made him a big-play machine and a threat to take it the distance anytime he touched the ball.

In eight games, Mitchell carried the ball 47 times for 396 rushing yards, two touchdowns and a whopping 8.4 yards per carry and hauled in 9-of-11 targets for 93 receiving yards and an average of 10.3 yards per catch. He had recorded at least one play from scrimmage of 20-plus yards in five straight games including what ended up being his final appearance of the season.

In other injury-related roster transaction news, the Ravens placed third-round rookie outside linebacker Adisa Isaac on the non-football injury list and fourth-round cornerback T.J. Tampa on the PUP list as well. Isaac sat out Organized Team Activities and minicamp due to a hamstring injury whereas Tampa’s designation is likely related to failing the conditioning test which isn’t uncommon for Ravens rookies historically as the organization is known for having one of the tougher tests in the league.