Baltimore Ravens’ All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley suffered a serious ankle injury in Sunday’s 28-24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and will be out for the remainder of the season.
Stanley, who recently became the second-highest-paid offensive lineman in the history of NFL, got hurt in the dying minutes of the first quarter. The 26-year-old player was blocking Pittsburgh’s defensive tackle Cameron Heyward when T.J. Watt unintentionally fell on his ankle.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Stanley suffered an ankle fracture and dislocation, while there is a chance he also has torn ligaments. Still, the initial estimations say that he should recover in full and be ready for the 2021 NFL season.
Ronnie Stanley was a standout performer for Ravens in recent years, managing to earn First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods last season. This earned him a five-year, $99 million extension just a couple of days ago.
Baltimore now find themselves in big trouble. The offensive line already had some trouble protecting quarterback Lamar Jackson this season, as he was already sacked 19 times this in the first seven games. With Stanley out, the issue could now get worse.
Pro Bowl right guard Orlando Brown switched positions to replace Stanley against the Steelers and might be a short-term fix on the position. But expect Baltimore to scout the free-agent market and trade opportunities in order to try and find a more permanent solution.
