Baltimore Ravens: Joe Flacco could be out for 3-6 weeks with back injury
By Ben Palmer
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is dealing with a back injury that could reportedly keep him out for 3-6 weeks.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is dealing with a back injury that could reportedly keep him out of action for 3-6 weeks, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports on Twitter.
Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun initially reported that Flacco was dealing with some back soreness, but Rapoport is reporting that Flacco is having a disk issue that could potentially keep him out for up to a month, which could potentially put his status for the Ravens week one game against the Cincinnati Bengals in jeopardy.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, on Twitter, the Baltimore Ravens don’t believe the injury to be serious and expect Flacco to miss only one week.
More from Baltimore Ravens
- Baltimore Ravens: Will this be Breshad Perriman’s last game as a Raven?
- Baltimore Ravens: Why RG3 Will Not Make the Ravens’ 53-Man Roster
- Baltimore Ravens have to make a decision on resting key offensive players
- Baltimore Ravens Cornerback Situation With Jimmy Smith Likely Suspended
- Top 5 Baltimore Ravens to Get on Your Fantasy Football Team
What the status of Flacco truly is, we might not know until it’s over, as the Ravens have done something similar to this back in 2015 when their first round draft pick, wide receiver Breshad Perriman, was supposed to only be out a few weeks with a minor injury. That injury ended up being a partially-torn PCL and ultimately cost him his entire rookie season.
This is the fourth significant injury to hit the Baltimore Ravens and training camp is just now starting. Up until this point, they’ve already lost running back Kenneth Dixon, tight end Dennis Pitta (who they released), and cornerback Tavon Young to season-ending injuries.
This is especially surprising for Flacco, as he hasn’t typically been bothered by injuries in his career. Aside from 2015 when he missed six games due to a torn ACL and MCL, Flacco has started in all 16 games in every single season since his 2008 rookie season.
Flacco’s immediate backup is Ryan Mallett, who filled in for Flacco in the last two games of the 2015 season. Mallett’s last bit of significant action was the final game of the 2015 regular season against the Bengals where he 53.6% of his passes for 292 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
Next: Ravens Sign Running Back Bobby Rainey
Flacco is one of the most important players, if not the most important player, on the Baltimore Ravens offense. Wide receiver Mike Wallace told The Baltimore Sun, “He’s the guy that makes the whole offense work, so just spending more time with him and him being healthy for the whole offseason and being able to work with him even more, it just puts us in a better position and a better place.”