I’m not sure whether to be upset, relieved or just plain amused after yesterday’s massive NFL news.
No, I’m not talking about Russell Wilson’s contract extension, though I will get to that. I’m talking about another major injury in Baltimore, this time to fan-favorite mascot Poe.
I’m upset that we lost our mascot, relieved that we didn’t lose a player and amused that the Internet never loses its sense of humor. I know one thing for certain: the Ravens are now obligated to win the Super Bowl for Poe.
A blow to Baltimore: The Ravens mascot, Poe, suffered a season-ending knee injury during Saturday’s preseason game vs. Washington, sources tell ESPN. Poe will be placed on injured reserve and team is expected to hold tryouts to find a new mascot while Poe rehabs. Get well, Poe. https://t.co/B89yYdb9CB
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 1, 2022
Head coach John Harbaugh confirmed the news yesterday, telling media that Poe “sustained a serious injury to his drumstick.” I’m dying to know who came up with that one, and who convinced him to say it during the presser.
Head Coach John Harbaugh with a very important personnel announcement… pic.twitter.com/4VuBib5tyK
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 1, 2022
Since Harbaugh also said that Poe would be placed on injured reserve, I’d really love if the Ravens committed to the bit that hard and tried to get that on the NFL’s official transaction report. Even an obviously fake mock-up would probably do the trick.
In honor of Poe, I’d now like to break down what was one of the most surreal football-related moments of my life.
During halftime of the Ravens’ August 27 preseason matchup vs. the Washington Commanders at M&T Bank Stadium, Poe took the field with a group of other local mascots in a game of tackle football against a youth football team.
A look how Poe was injured.
You hate to see anyone go down in the final preseason game.
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) August 28, 2022
Let me say that again. Poe took the field with several other local mascots in a game of tackle football against a youth football team. And Poe did not get up after getting tackled by one of these players.
At first, I thought it was a bit. Ha-ha, make the kid think he hurt the mascot.
Nope.
here's the full sequence of Ravens mascot Poe getting hurt 😭 pic.twitter.com/t03Qki0BxO
— alex (@highlghtheaven) August 28, 2022
Poe is lying on the ground grabbing at his knee and no one seems to know what to do.
Some of the other players – mascot and minor alike – began to call for help from the sidelines. The referee came over – not the NFL referee, mind you, the mascot v. youth referee – as did several Ravens employees who looked like event or stadium staff. They got a trainer out there eventually, but there was still several minutes of chaos as everyone tried to process what just happened.
The Ravens’ mascot just tore his ACL after being tackled by youth football players.
The topper had to be when the cart – that carried J.K. Dobbins to the locker room this time last year – appeared to take Poe, mercifully, off the field.
The Ravens’ mascot got injured during halftime and had to be carted off of the field
Prayers up to Poe pic.twitter.com/YzEkKsU6sH
— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) August 28, 2022
Poe deserves a ton of credit for staying in character and keeping his mascot head on through the entire ordeal. It’s probably a sauna under there!
After Harbaugh’s announcement, well, Twitter did its thing, preparing for a future revenge tour of Poe wreaking havoc on children and fielding applicants to take his mantle for the 2022 season.
Poe on his revenge tour in 2023 pic.twitter.com/a2EqwGk3Sk
— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) September 1, 2022
I do think it would be cool if the team brought Edgar and Allan, the other two-thirds of the original trio of Ravens mascots.
Otherwise, I think the team should go with Benjamin Solak, NFL writer and podcaster at The Ringer.
1000 RTs and I'll try out for Poe https://t.co/08vHoznQfl
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) September 1, 2022
He committed a cardinal sin of Twitter – setting a retweet goal way too low – and hit 1,000 retweets within 20 minutes. It seems like his website’s in, too.
Soon 👀@BenjaminSolak / @Ravens pic.twitter.com/xoS5sx61ml
— The Ringer (@ringer) September 1, 2022
Okay, I said I’d get to the Wilson contract news, so let’s talk about it.
In regards to Ravens and Lamar Jackson, the team can point to Russell Wilson's deal as further evidence that Deshaun Watson's $230M guaranteed is an aberration.
Since Watson signed, two QBs have signed and neither have come close to him: Kyler Murray ($189.5M) and Wilson ($165M)
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) September 1, 2022
Does it send the message that NFL teams are working hard to prevent fully-guaranteed contracts from becoming the norm? Of course, and that makes sense. Such contracts offer virtually no insurance for major injury or regression.
In theory, Wilson’s contract should make it easier for the Ravens and Jackson to find common ground. The $49 million average annual value should be enough for the Ravens to give least $50 million per year, if not exceed Aaron Rodgers’ NFL-record $50.3 million AAV. But the lack of a full guarantee should make Jackson more malleable at receiving such a deal. In theory.
If Lamar Jackson wants a fully-guaranteed contract like Deshaun Watson… Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray not coming close to doing the same did not help him.
Would imagine Baltimore’s front office is hammering that home now in negotiations. Watson’s deal has been an outlier.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 1, 2022
But I don’t think it’s that simple. As I’ve said for months, I think Jackson’s lack of an agent and willingness to bet on himself will lead to a franchise tag after the 2022 season. There’s definitely already a floor and a ceiling to a potential deal, but the quality of Jackson’s deal is somewhat dependent on how he does this season.
With Lamar Jackson more motivated than ever before, behind his best offensive line since his MVP season, handing off to running backs with more juice than last year’s vets and throwing to Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman? Rather than worry about his contract, I’m going to sit back and watch the fireworks.
