Currently, the health of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who missed his second straight day of practice on Thursday, is rightfully the biggest storyline surrounding the team.
However, there’s another big concern forming on the injury front: the defensive line. Not only did the Ravens place nose tackle Michael Pierce on injured reserve this week, but defensive end Brent Urban (concussion) and defensive tackles Travis Jones (ankle) and Broderick Washington (knee) did not practice Thursday. Pierce and Urban suffered injuries in Sunday’s loss to the Cleveland Browns, while Jones and Washington are dealing with lingering injuries.
As a result, Nnamdi Madubuike is now the only healthy defensive lineman on the active roster. Baltimore will likely elevate a player or two from the practice squad to help out, but Madubuike knows he’ll be carrying a massive load for Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos, even if his teammates come back.
“For me, being a leader of the defense, it’s tightening up just doing your job, in terms of just sleep, recovery, doing what you can,” Madubuike said, per the Ravens’ site. “You don’t want to put yourself in a position where you’re really thin. We need everybody that we’ve got.”
Elsewhere on the injury report, cornerback Marlon Humphrey (knee) and running back Rasheen Ali (ankle) were both limited on Thursday. Humphrey missed the game against Cleveland after posting two interceptions the week prior. Ali, meanwhile, practiced for the first time in roughly two weeks.
Running back Keaton Mitchell (knee) and cornerback Nate Wiggins (shoulder/illness) were full participants on Thursday. Mitchell is working his way back from a gruesome knee injury he suffered late last season, and him fully participating in back-to-back practices is a good sign. Wiggins, who also missed the Cleveland game, participated fully after being limited on Wednesday.