Baltimore Ravens rookie wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane’s encouraging NFL debut has been interrupted after the team placed him on injured reserve Wednesday.
Lane underwent surgery Wednesday after suffering a wrist injury in the first half of Baltimore’s 41-23 season-opening victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. The former USC standout must now miss at least the Ravens’ next four games.
The earliest Lane could return is Baltimore’s Week 6 road matchup against the Cleveland Browns.
Ravens head coach Jesse Minter struck an optimistic tone Wednesday, telling reporters that Lane “definitely has a really good chance of coming back here pretty quick,” offering hope that the rookie’s absence could be limited to the minimum injured reserve stay.
“The minimum IR stay is what we’ll be shooting for,” Minter told reporters at the Ravens practice facility. “I know he’ll attack it and he’ll be back as soon as it is. Whatever the number [of weeks] is, you try to slice a week or two off of that from a player’s competitive standpoint. I know he’ll be chomping at the bit to get back.”
Lane nearly recorded the first touchdown of his NFL career in Week 1, hauling in what appeared to be a 4-yard scoring catch before a holding penalty wiped it off the board.
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The Ravens selected Lane in the third round of this spring’s NFL Draft, and he quickly emerged as a player to watch during training camp.
In an Instagram Story posted after the Colts game, Lane made clear he plans to return with urgency, writing, “Save your pity I will be back believe that.”
Veteran Ravens receiver Rashod Bateman said he shared some perspective with Lane after the injury.
“You never know how your career will go. That’s part of that sport,” Bateman said, according to the Ravens’ team website.
“I spoke to him, gave him some words of encouragement. He’s definitely beating himself up about it, but there’s only so much he can control. That’s what I had to teach myself.”