Baltimore won its opener 41-23 and somehow came out of it with a receiving corps held together by tape.
Rookie wideout Ja’Kobi Lane will undergo wrist surgery this week, Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reported Tuesday, after the 22-year-old fractured it in the season opener against Indianapolis. The expected absence is roughly a month, which likely means a trip to injured reserve.
Mike Garafolo first reported the fracture. Ian Rapoport had it at several weeks. Additional opinions pushed the team toward surgery now rather than trying to play through it.
Lane was a third-round pick out of USC this spring. His first NFL touchdown was wiped out by a holding penalty on first-time starting center Jovaughn Gwyn early in the second quarter, which is a brutal way to lose a milestone and then lose a month.
Zay Flowers put up 150 yards and then vanished
The bigger name is the bigger concern.
Zay Flowers caught five passes for 150 yards and a touchdown in the first half alone, then did not play the second half after aggravating a hamstring. He had been dealing with soreness since joint practices in Minnesota.
Head coach Jesse Minter called Flowers “day to day” and would not commit to his availability for Sunday against New Orleans.
A hamstring that was already sore in August and then got aggravated in a 150-yard half is not a one-week problem in most cases. Baltimore rushing him back for a Week 2 home game would be a choice.
The depth chart is a problem
The Ravens entered Week 1 with just six receivers on the 53-man roster. Devontez Walker was already ruled out with a groin injury. Rookie fourth-rounder Elijah Sarratt was a healthy scratch. Practice squad veteran Chris Moore got elevated mostly for return duty.
Rashod Bateman, who went from a career-best 756 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024 down to 224 yards and two scores in 2025, is the veteran the team needs to step up. He was also arrested this summer on a family violence charge and may still face league discipline. No punishment has been announced.
Minter said there is “potential” to bring in a free agent receiver. NFL.com listed Darius Slayton, Brandin Cooks, Gabe Davis, Sterling Shepard and Tyler Lockett as available. Shepard has since signed with the Jets’ practice squad, so that name is off the board.
Baltimore has already used two of its eight injury activations on cornerback Bilhal Kone and running back Adam Randall, so the roster math is tightening earlier than any team wants.
What this means for Lamar
Lamar Jackson threw for a big number in Week 1 in part because Flowers was uncoverable for 30 minutes. Take Flowers out, take Lane out, and the passing game leans on Bateman, Sarratt and a tight end room.
The Ravens will still run the ball and still be dangerous. But this offense at its best is a vertical passing operation, and the vertical element just lost its two most explosive pieces in the same half.
Expect a signing this week. Baltimore does not have the luxury of waiting.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.