NFL fans are looking forward to the first Sunday Night Football game of the season, when the Baltimore Ravens enter Highmark Stadium to face the Buffalo Bills in a playoff rematch from last season’s divisional round. Before that matchup, the teams must survive training camp — and both team have dealt with plenty of injuries this summer.
Fortunately for the Bills, they appear to have been spared worse news following a report that rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston is week-to-week with an LCL sprain. The Ravens, however, have lost tight end Isaiah Likely, who was looking to make a big impact in 2025.
Likely had to be carted off at the end of practice on Tuesday, July 29 with what head coach John Harbaugh at the time called an ankle sprain. That recovery timeline would have been a couple weeks, with Likely ready to go for opening weekend.
By Wednesday morning, however, Jeremy Fowler reported that it’s actually a small foot fracture. This requires a longer recovery time and has now put his status for Week 1 in doubt.
Likely found a dominant role for himself as the 2024 NFL season progress, and he’s been a breakout candidate among national media outlets. In the playoff game against Buffalo this past January, he had four catches for 76 yards and a touchdown.
Likely is in line to take the majority of the snaps away from veteran Mark Andrews and has had discussions about a contract extension for the team. For an offense that likes to use two tight ends like the Ravens do, this could have quite an impact on the early part of their season.
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