The Baltimore Ravens have dealt with an almost unprecedented number of injuries over the last month-and-a-half or so. We’re less than two weeks into the regular season, but a whopping 16 Ravens players have already landed on injured reserve.
And that doesn’t even encompass the full list of all injured players right now. That injury luck is even more apparent given that the team’s Week 2 opponents, the Kansas City Chiefs, are probably the healthiest team in the NFL.
They have just three players on reserve lists, the fewest in the league. And all 53 players on their active roster are healthy for this week’s game.
It’s hard to find a greater contrast in health status than the Ravens and Chiefs rosters. But just how did we get here? And exactly how many Ravens players are currently sidelined with injuries.
Let’s take a look at every currently injured player on the Ravens roster. This list will include all players on an injury list and any player who received an injury designation this week.
Otaro Alaka, LB, Ravens (IR)
Alaka injured his knee late in the summer and reverted to the injured reserve after being waived/injured. The young linebacker was competing for one of the final roster spots, but his injury likely cost him his chance.
Rashod Bateman, WR, Ravens (IR)
Bateman injured his groin the summer and was placed on the injured reserve to start the season after undergoing groin surgery.
His placement on the IR is only temporary and the Ravens hope that he will be back before long. Until then, however, the team will be without one of their first-round picks from this year’s draft.
Miles Boykin, WR, Ravens (IR)
Boykin missed most of the summer with a hamstring injury and was placed on IR to begin the year. He was expected to compete for one of the final wide receiver spots on the team, but his injury, along with the emergence of James Proche, might have cost him his role.
It’s unclear when he will return and what role he might have in the offense once he’s healthy.
Nick Boyle, TE, Ravens (IR)
Boyle spent the offseason rehabbing a devastating knee injury with the hope that he would be ready for Week 1. Evidently, he was not as the Ravens placed him on IR shortly prior to their season-opener.
The hope is that he will be able to return by Week 4 or 5. His return will provide a major boost to the Ravens’ rushing attack.
Aaron Crawford, DT, Ravens (IR)
Crawford missed some time this summer with an undisclosed injury and he reverted to the Ravens’ IR after being waived/injured. A promising young defensive tackle, Crawford could provide depth when he returns next year.
J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ravens (IR)
The first of the high-profile Ravens injuries, J.K. Dobbins suffered a torn ACL in the team’s final preseason game last month.
Dobbins was primed for a potential breakout season after a promising rookie campaign. His absence was soon compounded by the loss of two other running backs (more on them in a moment).
Khalil Dorsey, CB, Ravens (IR)
The Ravens placed Dorsey on IR in the middle of August ending his 2021 season prematurely. The second-year cornerback was dealing with a shoulder injury and was hoping to compete for a roster spot in a crowded secondary.
Gus Edwards, RB, Ravens (IR)
Edwards tore his ACL prior to the team’s Week 1 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. The hope was that Edwards would step up as the unquestioned R1 following Dobbins’ injury.
Unfortunately, the Gus Bus is out of service until next year.
L.J. Fort, LB, Ravens (IR)
L.J. Fort was the first starter the Ravens lost to injury as he tore his ACL in the second quarter of the team’s second preseason game.
Fort’s absence carved out a full-time starting role for Malik Harrison, but the Ravens miss his veteran reliability on defense as well as his special-teams contributions.
Justice Hill, RB, Ravens (IR)
Justice Hill was the second of three Ravens running backs to suffer a season-ending injury before the start of the season as he tore his Achilles.
Hill was competing with Ty’Son Williams for the third running back role on the team prior to his injury.
Ja’Wuan James, OT, Ravens (NFI)
Ja’Wuan James was the only injured player the Ravens signed up for. James tore his Achilles in May before being released by the Denver Broncos.
The Ravens signed James as more of a long-term investment. There’s a chance James plays this season, but that likely wouldn’t be until December at the earliest.
Xavier Kelly, DT, Ravens (IR)
An undrafted rookie out of Arkansas, Kelly tore his Achilles in the team’s very first practice of minicamp and was immediately ruled out for the season. In many ways, his injury was a sign of things to come.
Iman Marshall, CB, Ravens (IR)
Marshall has dealt with injuries throughout his entire NFL career as the former fourth-round pick has played in just three games to this point.
Marshall is still recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered in August of last year and will eye a 2022 return after being placed on IR in the summer.
Marcus Peters, CB, Ravens (IR)
Arguably the biggest Ravens loss to date, Peters tore his ACL in the same practice that Gus Edwards tore his.
Peters is arguably a top-10 cornerback in the NFL and the best playmaker on the Ravens’ defense. Even with a talented secondary, there is no way to replicate his production.
Tyre Phillips, LG, Ravens (IR)
Phillips injured his knee in the team’s season-opener on Monday and was placed on short-term IR shortly after the game.
There’s a chance that Phillips could still return this year, but his absence creates yet another hole in a struggling Ravens offensive line.
Chris Westry, CB, Ravens (IR)
The latest addition to this list, Westry suffered a torn lateral meniscus in his knee in Monday’s game and will be sidelined for at least 1-2 months, if not longer.
Westry was helping fill in for Peters and played 38 percent of defensive snaps in Week 1.
Marquise Brown, WR, Ravens (Questionable)
Now we get into the currently injured players who are not on an injury list, as of yet. Brown played in Week 1, but sat out most of this week with an ankle injury.
He returned during Friday’s practice and will be a game-time decision on Sunday night.
Devin Duvernay, WR, Ravens (Questionable)
Duvernay is in a similar boat to Brown seeing as he played in Week 1 and sat out most of this week with a groin injury.
The second-year wide receiver also returned on Friday and is listed as questionable for Week 2.
Daelin Hayes, OLB, Ravens (Questionable)
Hayes was inactive for Week 1 as he battled a knee injury. The rookie pass rusher is once again listed as questionable for Week 2, but even if he’s healthy, it’s no guarantee that he’ll be active.
Marlon Humphrey, CB, Ravens (Questionable)
Humphrey is currently dealing with back spasms and is questionable for Sunday night’s game. The expectation is that he’ll play, but the Ravens defense would be in massive trouble if he was forced to sit out.
Jimmy Smith, CB, Ravens (Questionable)
Smith has been sidelined since early August with a low-ankle sprain and is due to return any day now. He was a limited participant in practice this week and his return would be a huge boost to a Ravens secondary reeling after the losses of Peters and Westry.
Ronnie Stanley, LT, Ravens (Questionable)
This is probably the most important injury to monitor. Stanley returned in Week 1 and clearly didn’t look like himself.
The former All-Pro didn’t practice all week and isn’t expected to play in this week’s game. The Ravens haven’t placed him on IR yet so that’s at least somewhat good news.
Expect the team to keep a close eye on his status over the coming days.
Derek Wolfe, DE, Ravens (OUT)
The only active Ravens player officially declared out for this week, Wolfe will miss the first two games of the season with a back injury.
Justin Madubuike will once again slide into the starting lineup in place of the injured Wolfe.