Ethernet connection disappeared from device manager. HELP!

Currently running Windows 10 on an ASRock B450M/ac

left for the weekend to attend a bachelor party and returned to no Ethernet connection. The device was hidden in device manager, I checked for driver updates, nothing. So I uninstalled the driver and nothing popped back up in its place upon reboot. Strange…. so I checked and sure enough there was a windows update that ran the day after I left. Surely this is the problem! Rolled back the update aaaaaaand…. still nothing. The cable is fine, as it is plug-and-play with my laptop, and I’m running out of ideas as to why. I’d flash my BIOS, but my internet connection is VERY shaky without LAN, and while there was an update to my BIOS, it was implemented far before my issues began. I tried resetting my BIOS settings and that hasn’t worked either. Am I safe in assuming that the physical Ethernet port is broken despite showing a link light? Am I going crazy? (The answer time that one is yes.) Please tell me there is something simple I’m missing before I go out and buy a new NIC or motherboard!