The Baltimore Ravens‘ secondary is already hurting after season-ending injuries to the likes of Marlon Humphrey, Marcus Peters, and DeShon Elliott. Now you can add Chuck Clark to the list of injured starters in the secondary who are sidelined.
Fortunately, Clark’s absence isn’t injury-related. Instead, the veteran safety has landed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list putting his status for this Sunday’s game very much in question.
If Clark is vaccinated, there’s a chance he will still be able to play in this week’s game. He would need to be asymptomatic and have two negative tests prior to 4 p.m. ET on Saturday.
If not, the Ravens will be forced to go into their Week 15 matchup against Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, and the high-powered Green Bay Packers offense with two backup safeties and two backup cornerbacks.
Not ideal.
The Ravens can ill-afford to be without Chuck Clark in Week 15
A sixth-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Clark has never missed a game in his NFL career due to injury or illness. He’s been inactive just one time in his career, that coming when he was a healthy scratch in Week 9 of his rookie season.
Clark has been the model of durability, and his absence would be felt far more than your average player. The 26-year-old is also the Ravens’ defensive play-caller having missed just one snap all season.
If Clark is out, the Ravens will have to find someone to assume that role for a week which could cause even more issues in a defense that has struggled with communication at times this season.
Third-round rookie Brandon Stephens has already been starting in place of the injured DeShon Elliott. With Clark out, the Ravens would likely be forced to turn to former seventh-round pick Geno Stone with Ar’Darius Washington also on the injured reserve.
Stone and veteran special-teamer Anthony Levine Sr. are the only two safeties currently on the active roster, although the Ravens did bring back Tony Jefferson to their practice squad this week. Jefferson could be forced right back into action this week if Clark misses the game.
The hits keep coming for the Ravens. If the injury/illness bug can get to perhaps the most durable member of the roster in Chuck Clark, nobody is safe.