Baltimore Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley’s career took a big hit on November 1, 2021 when he suffered a severe ankle injury against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was carted off the field and done for the season. Stanley attempted to make a return in 2021, but he landed on injured reserve once again almost a year later when he had to undergo season-ending ankle surgery.
Last season was somewhat of a success because Stanley played 11 games and ended the year healthy. Finishing the year injury free was a major win for Stanley because now he’ll enter the offseason without having a rehab on his shoulders.
“This is as good as I’ve felt since 2019, preseason 2020,” Stanley said during minicamp. “I’m very thankful for the opportunity to be able to come into this season healthy. I definitely don’t take it for granted knowing the past couple of years how hard it is just to get back in the game. So, to be able to start a whole new season feeling good is … I’m very thankful for.”
Stanley said 80% of his time the last couple of seasons was focused on rehab while the other 20% was spent on training. Now he’s able to devote most of his time to getting stronger and building more endurance. The focus is on becoming the best athlete he can. Stanley wants to get back to the player he was before the injury. That’s when he was named to the Pro Bowl and a first-team All Pro.
Stanley wasn’t at OTAs in April and May. That’s nothing new. He has always made it a habit to train on his own. With OTAs and minicamp in the rearview mirror, Stanley is turning his attention to offseason work. The training included low impact activities like working out in the sand.
When the Ravens report to Owings Mills for training camp in July, Stanley will be ready to start working towards another Pro Bowl season. More importantly the Ravens are looking to get back to the Super Bowl. Stanley could be a big part of that.
