Rookie center’s foot injury not serious
An MRI showed no serious damage to the left foot of Ravens rookie center Tyler Linderbaum, coach John Harbaugh said, but the first-round draft pick could miss a week or more of training camp.
“It’s not going to be all of training camp unless something changes,” Harbaugh said Friday, noting that the rookie will push to come back sooner rather than later.
Linderbaum left practice Thursday after he hurt his foot while blocking on a running play.
He walked off under his own power.
The former Iowa star has worked as the team’s starting center throughout training camp, just as Harbaugh said he would after he was drafted No. 25 overall. But his absence will lead to more reps for backups Patrick Mekari and Trystan Colon and give the Ravens a chance to audition emergency candidates to step in at center on game days.
“We’ve got to get some other guys ready,” Harbaugh said.
No. 1 wide receiver Rashod Bateman also missed practice Friday with what Harbaugh described as a “minor thing.” Though any injury to Bateman is a concern after groin surgery cost him the start of his rookie season, Harbaugh said the former Minnesota star could have practiced and would probably miss just a few days.
“Some of that soft tissue stuff, fatigue starts to set in, and that’s where we’re at with a couple guys,” he added.
Harbaugh gave updates on defensive back Brandon Stephens, who has been out since Tuesday, and wide receiver Devin Duvernay, who has not practiced since suffering a thigh bruise at an open practice at M&T Bank Stadium last weekend.
Stephens, whose versatility could make him a major cog in the secondary, is dealing
with a soft-tissue injury. “Hopefully, we got it early enough where we keep it short term,” Harbaugh said.
He said Duvernay, a Pro Bowl kick returner in addition to a candidate to start at wide receiver, could have practiced Thursday
or Friday “but I pretty much said let these young guys get some reps and let’s get everything 100%.”