They say, “The sun’ll come up tomorrow,” but try telling that to a rookie whose dreams just hit a wall. Bilhal Kone was making waves at camp, doing everything right. Then Thursday night happened. One play, a bad step, and suddenly he’s on the turf holding his knee. The cart rolled out. The crowd went silent. And in a blink, the buzz around Kone turned into heartbreak.

John Harbaugh didn’t have his usual playbook of phrases ready when he stepped up to the mic. No polished coach-speak, no sidestepping. You could see it on his face: This one hurt. And the words that came out of his mouth? Wholesome.

When he addressed Kone’s injury in tonight’s presser, he hit everyone with something unexpectedly raw and hopeful. “Very emotional. He was playing well, too. Seeing him in the locker room like that was very hard. But like I told him, the sun will come up tomorrow. If the sun doesn’t come up tomorrow, we’ve got much bigger problems. So, the sun will come up tomorrow, you’ll be a part of our team, and you’ll be rehabbing, and you’ll be back,” he said.

When Bilhal Kone went down in the first quarter of the Ravens’ preseason opener, you could feel the air leave the stadium. He looked like a steal. All it took was one moment to put a full stop on what could’ve been one of the best rookie seasons in the 2025 season. For a young guy trying to prove he belongs, there’s no worse timing. And for fans who were starting to believe in the underdog hype? It hit just as hard.

The momentum was perfect. And every Ravens reporter could see it. Whether it was sticking to receivers like glue, jamming guys at the line, or showing off polished footwork that most sixth-rounders just don’t have. Coaches loved it. Vets noticed. Until the Colts game.

Then came that rep against Ashton Dulin. Tight coverage down the sideline, exactly the kind of matchup Kone had been winning all summer. And then? His knee buckled. Out of nowhere, really. No collision. No push-off. Just the kind of collapse that makes your stomach drop. The cart rolled out before trainers could even finish taping the air cast. It was heartbreaking across the board: for him, for the Ravens fans, and clearly, for John Harbaugh.

And when you look back at his college career, you’d just know he would’ve done great things in his rookie season. At Western Michigan, he was everywhere in 2024: 70 tackles, 10 pass breakups, and a pick. Insane. Then came Indy, where he clocked a 4.43 in the 40 and measured in at 6’1″. Suddenly, that late-round buzz got a little louder, and the Ravens pressed the button. And now? His season might be over.

Bilhal Kone is definitely out for the season

Yeah, he’s out for the entire year. It’s confirmed that he tore his ACL and MCL. And the fact that he got down during a non-contact play? You just knew it was a ligament tear. And even if you didn’t, Kone was placed on IR almost immediately after the game, a move that usually means the team already knew the news wasn’t good.

With Kone sidelined, the Ravens’ cornerback room just got a lot more interesting. Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins are your clear-cut starters. But behind them? Wide open. T.J. Tampa’s about to see a major bump, Jalyn Armour-Davis has a shot to prove he belongs, and keep an eye on Robert Longerbeam, the undrafted rookie. Kone was trending toward a real role, so now it’s next man up… and the battle for those nickel and dime snaps just got real.

It’s a big blow for the Ravens. Coaches had him running with the second-team defense, and his physicality in man coverage was turning heads. He even came up clutch in the preseason opener against the Panthers, breaking up a third-down pass that helped stall a drive. For a sixth-round rookie, he was doing everything right.

But like John Harbaugh said, this isn’t the end of the road for Bilhal Kone. Far from it. The Ravens have built a culture around keeping injured rookies engaged, and Kone’s going to stay in the mix. We’ve seen it before with guys like Kyle Hamilton in 2022 and David Ojabo the following year. So yeah, the sun will come up. It just might take a little longer.