OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely will be sidelined “a few weeks” after suffering an injury during training camp practice July 29, head coach John Harbaugh said.
The injury happened just before the end of practice, when Likely was taking part in a red zone 1-on-1 drill against safety Sanoussi Kane. Likely went down immediately after the play, grabbing at his ankle, and he was carted to the locker room as practice ended.
“He rolled his ankle, the foot area,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll get an MRI tomorrow and see exactly what needs to be done, but it’ll be a few weeks.”
Ian Rapoport reported July 30 that Likely will have surgery to fix a broken bone in his foot and is expected to be out about six weeks.
This almost certainly will sideline Likely for all three preseason games and probably the remainder of the summer, with the goal to try to get him ready to play in Week 1 at Buffalo.
It’s a huge season for Likely, 25, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is set to become a free agent next spring. He is considered one of the Ravens’ top candidates for an extension after a season in which he had 42 catches for 477 yards and six touchdowns.
Likely has always been a complement to All-Pro tight end Mark Andrews, who is also set to hit free agency next spring. A fourth-round draft pick out of Coastal Carolina in 2022, Likely has averaged 36 catches and 420 yards in his first three NFL seasons, with 14 touchdowns. He has missed just two games in three seasons.
With their salary cap constraints, the Ravens are not expected to retain both Likely and Andrews, and Likely, nearly five years younger, is considered the more probable long-term signing.
The parameters of any Likely extension might have become more clear earlier this week, when the Dallas Cowboys signed tight end Jake Ferguson to a four-year, $52 million extension with $30 million guaranteed. Ferguson was drafted 10 picks before Likely and has averaged 50 catches for 476 yards, with seven total touchdowns, over three seasons.
In the near term, though, the goal will be to get Likely healed and back up to speed in time for the regular-season opener at Buffalo on Sept. 7.
“It’s good that [the injury] is this early in camp,” Harbaugh said.
NOTEBOOK
BATEMAN, ALEXANDER RETURN: Rashod Bateman returned after missing practice a day earlier because of illness, and cornerback Jaire Alexander was also back after missing a day to alleviate some swelling in his knee. Alexander always brings energy and appears increasingly at home in Baltimore. During a field-goal period, Alexander interacted with fans and did his patented sword celebration as fans roared.
Cornerbacks Jalyn Armour-Davis (leg) and Bilhal Kone (shoulder) missed practice again, and wide receiver Keith Kirkwood, who had missed a couple of practices before appearing briefly on the field yesterday, did not participate. Safety Ar’Darius Washington (PUP, Achilles) and offensive lineman Emery Jones (NFI, shoulder) remain sidelined as well.
HOYLAND GOES 5-FOR-6: Undrafted rookie John Hoyland handled all the kicking reps in practice July 29 and went 5-for-6 in full-team field-goal drills. He made a long of 48 yards and missed from 51, pushing the kick wide right.
WALKER CONTINUES TO SHINE: Second-year receiver Devontez Walker continues to stack strong practices. He made a nice sliding grab for a third-down conversion in full-team drills and later won against Nate Wiggins in the back of the end zone in a 1-on-1 red zone drill. Devin Leary found Walker down the sideline during a 7-on-7 period, and Walker also caught a 2-yard touchdown pass during a red zone period. It wasn’t perfect for Walker, though; Jaire Alexander broke up a sideline pass to Walker in the first full-team period, and Walker lost his matchup with T.J. Tampa in the red zone 1-on-1s.
TURNOVERS REMAIN EMPHASIS: When tight end Mark Andrews caught a swing pass in a 7-on-7 period, he tightly wrapped both arms around the ball as he turned upfield. Earlier, three defensive players tried to punch the ball out of backup tight end Sam Pitz after a catch. The whistle blew before linebacker Jay Higgins knocked it loose, but cornerback Marlon Humphrey gave Higgins a few taps on the helmet nonetheless. Humphrey, as much as anyone, has emphasized the importance of takeaways.
A day earlier, the Ravens spent an entire practice period on turnovers and ball security, with defensive players practicing punchouts and strip-sacks and offensive players focused on protecting the ball.
“When we take the ball away, we’ll win,” defensive coordinator Zach Orr said recently. “Last year, we didn’t take the ball away enough. We had zero takeaways in the playoffs. … We’re teaching it, we’re drilling it, and we’re making our guys aware of how important it is. And it is not just me talking about it. Every coach is talking about it, even on the offensive side of the ball.”
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