Harbaugh promises mascot Poe 'will be back' following apparent leg injury

BALTIMORE -- Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh made a solemn promise to all the young fans out there: "Poe will be back."

The mascot was carted off the field after suffering an apparent knee injury during an exhibition game pitting other mascots against a youth football team, the halftime entertainment at Saturday's preseason game between the Ravens and Washington Commanders.

A tackler pulled Poe down from behind while he was carrying the ball. Poe -- or, if we're being real here, the poor person who had to wear the costume in the game -- immediately grabbed their knee.

On Sunday, the team shared an image with Poe with an ice pack on his "drumstick" and said the beloved mascot is "resting comfortably in his perch awaiting test results."

Harbaugh said Monday he showed the fateful tackle to his players. The sad sight of the poor mascot crumpled on the field and being taken off on a golf cart was something of a viral hit.

Somehow this was only the most recent viral video to feature a mascot playing children in football, as Harbaugh noted in his remarks, the other being Atlanta Braves mascot Blooper absolutely wrecking kids with stiff-arms while running toward the end zone.

"We had a little conversation in our team meeting room, like, 'If that's our kid out there, how are we responding to that?'" Harbaugh said.

Most agreed they would be shocked at first, he recalled. "Is this really happening?"

• Baltimore Ravens