John Harbaugh Sends Strong Message to Rookie After Brutal Injury

The NFL is a cruel business. One injury can change the trajectory of a player’s career.

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh unfortunately knows this all too well, having been around the sport for most of his life.

In Thursday’s preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts, Ravens cornerback Bilhal Kone went down with a devastating leg injury. Harbaugh confirmed postgame that Kone, a sixth-round pick from Western Michigan, will miss his rookie season with a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee.

Asked about the emotions surrounding Kone’s injury, Harbaugh said it was difficult to see a young player get hurt, especially given how well he’d played.

“Very emotional,” Harbaugh told reporters. “Playing well, too. Even in that play, he made a heck of a play and then even seeing him in the locker room just now was really hard. (It was) very hard.”

Harbaugh assured Kone he will be back.

“Like I told him, ‘The sun will come up tomorrow. If the sun doesn’t come up tomorrow, we will have much bigger problems. So, the sun will come up tomorrow, you’ll get this taken care of. You’ll be rehabbing. You’re part of our team, and you’ll be back. So, it’s just not on the time that you hope for.’ So, I think he’ll see that in due time,” Harbaugh said.

How Did Bilhal Kone Get Injured?

Kone, 23, was trying to defend Colts wide receiver Ashton Dulin near the end zone when he went down awkwardly. Videos posted on social media showed Kone’s left leg bent at an unusual angle as he lay on the field in immense pain.

Teammates signaled almost immediately for the team’s training staff. Kone’s leg was then placed in an air cast before he was carted off the field.

Ravens Have Impressive Cornerback Depth

Kone had been competing for one of the final spots at cornerback after being selected 178th overall by Baltimore in April.

He started 13 games for Western Michigan last season, recording 70 tackles, nine passes defended and one interception. He previously played at both Iowa Central Community College and Indiana State.

In his pre-draft scouting report, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein commended Kone’s “first-rate ball skills.”

“Even when beaten, he has an innate feel for taking playmaking angles on the route,” Zierlein wrote, “which give him a chance to disrupt the catch.”

Given Baltimore’s depth at cornerback, Kone faced an uphill battle making the final 53-man roster. The Ravens recently signed two-time All-Pro Jaire Alexander to a secondary that already included Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins. Still, the injury is a cruel twist for the rookie.