The Baltimore Ravens have been looking forward to the eventual return of defensive lineman Derek Wolfe who has been sidelined since the start of the season with a back injury.
The Ravens designated Wolfe to return from the injured reserve in late October and the veteran defensive end even returned to practice in a limited capacity.
However, a few weeks have passed and Wolfe remains on IR. Head coach John Harbaugh spoke to the media on Monday and provided a few injury updates.
Unfortunately, his update regarding Wolfe wasn’t a positive one.
Harbaugh indicated it was very likely that Wolfe would not be able to play this season. And with the deadline to activate him from the injured reserve set for Tuesday, it seems likely that will be the case.
If tomorrow passes and Wolfe has not been activated to the 53-man roster, he will be forced to miss the remainder of the season. According to Harbaugh, don’t expect Wolfe to be activated.
Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh announces Derek Wolfe is not expected to play this season. pic.twitter.com/NtfYD8hhAh
— Baltimore Beatdown (@BmoreBeatdown) November 15, 2021
The Ravens defense will have to cope without Derek Wolfe
The Ravens front-seven has underwhelmed this season and the hope was that a returning Wolfe would provide a major boost to a defensive line that was certainly in need of some help.
However, now the team will be forced to lean on the players they have all season. The likes of Calais Campbell, Brandon Williams, Justin Ellis, and Justin Madubuike will continue to hold down the fort on a veteran-heavy defensive line.
That’s bad news given the struggles the defensive line has endured at points this season. The Ravens have had issues defending the run and a player like Wolfe was seen as someone who could really help them out.
Unfortunately, the reinforcements aren’t on the way for Baltimore. At least not when it comes to Derek Wolfe.