Baltimore got to see their 2019 Ravens in action for the first time Saturday night when the team held an open practice at M&T Bank Stadium. Excitement was certainly in the air, but the mood was dampered when backup quarterback Robert Griffin III suffered a fractured thumb late in the first padded workout.
I was able to catch the rep that RG3 injured his hand on. He hit Tim Williams on the helmet on his follow through. Wishing him a speedy recovery. pic.twitter.com/v7YspxYsgj
— Spencer N. Schultz (@ravens4dummies) July 28, 2019The injury was caused by Griffin's hand slamming into the helmet of third-year linebacker Tim Williams mid-throw. Griffin fought back tears and had to leave the field to undergo X-Rays.
A short while later, the diagnosed fracture was made public. Initial reports said Griffin would be ready by the season opener, but a late update provided by ESPN's Adam Schefter included a wider timetable.
Ravens' QB Robert Griffin III is expected to be out 4-8 weeks with a hairline fracture in his right thumb, per source. Griffin injured his thumb tonight during practice.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 28, 2019Griffin dodging a long-term prognosis certainly bodes well for the Ravens and their offense. It's no secret that Lamar Jackson's playstyle is reckless for a starting quarterback. Even if Jackson reduces his rush attempts to 10 per game in 2019, he'll still be putting himself at risk more often than most NFL quarterbacks. This makes having a respectable, healthy backup quarterback that much more important for John Harbaugh and his staff.
The Griffin injury is why defenders are instructed to not get anywhere close to quarterbacks during training camp practices. I'm guessing that point will be driven home in Ravens' meetings tomorrow.
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) July 28, 2019No one can dispute that Griffin is a great fit for the Ravens offense. He's also been an outstanding mentor for Jackson and a class-act on and off the field since arriving to Baltimore last year. However, health a big reason why Griffin went unsigned for the entire 2017 season. He's endured a torn-up knee (2012-13), dislocated ankle (2014), concussion (2015) and a fractured shoulder (2016). Griffin lost multiple starting jobs due to these ailments. If you're concerned about Jackson's outlook to make it through 16 games, you should be just as concerned about Griffin's longevity if he's called upon in 2019.
Aside from Jackson and Griffin, sixth-round rookie Trace McSorely is the only other quarterback on the Ravens roster. With just two healthy signal-callers now available three days into camp, expect Eric Decosta to add another quarterback in the coming days.
The Ravens appeared to dodge a bullet here. That's certainly a plus, but they won't be this lucky every time. The offensive system Baltimore is implementing can lead to injured quarterbacks. The Ravens know that, and they'll be doing everything they can to keep their gun-slingers upright all season long.
Ravens camp report Day 3:--Lamar Jackson delivered best practice of camp, especially downfield and red zone--Kenneth Dixon twice lined up wrong and Jackson had to point him to right spot--Miles Boykin continues to be best WR on field--RG3 injures thumb, will miss few weeks
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) July 28, 2019
