OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Wide receiver Lee Evans practiced for the third straight day on Friday, but it appears his return to action will have to wait at least another week.
Prior to Evans being listed as doubtful on the final injury report released on Friday, Ravens coach John Harbaugh wouldn’t rule out the veteran wideout, but given his closed-lipped demeanor regarding injuries, his comments weren’t a ringing endorsement for Evans potentially playing for the first time since the Week 2 loss in Tennessee.
“I think it’s an outside chance right now for that,” Harbaugh said. “He’s still working through it. If we had a situation where we needed him, he could go.”
Evans was pleased with his progress on Thursday before taking the field for the second practice of the week. Given the nature of the left ankle injury — Evans has labeled it “stress” in the muscle and bone — the Ravens likely want to see Evans practice for a certain amount of time before running him back on the field at full speed.
And factoring in the recent heroics of rookie wide receiver Torrey Smith and the emerging play of fellow first-year wideout LaQuan Williams, the Ravens would be better served being conservative with Evans. Three straight days of practice is a major step forward after dealing with the injury for the last two and a half months.
“It definitely feels good,” Evans said on Thursday. “It makes you feel like a football player again — get out there, put the pads on, and run around a little bit. We still have a hill to climb, but it’s good to get that step out of the way and still be able to progress forward.”
As he did in the previous two workouts of the week, Evans practiced on a limited basis on Friday.
