If you’re hoping to see Lamar Jackson in the Ravens’ preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles, you’re going to be disappointed.
Jackson has played one preseason game and just six snaps (all in 2021) in the last three years. Coach John Harbaugh said backup quarterback Josh Johnson will be out there Friday.
New star running back Derrick Henry will also reportedly be on the sidelines, according to NFL Network.
Similarly, you probably won’t see most of the starters. Harbaugh said they will play during the preseason but it’s not likely they’ll be featured in the first game.
“We’ll see most of those guys out there — I don’t know about this game, if every one of those guys will be out there,” Harbaugh said.
The Ravens haven’t started game planning for the Eagles, who visit Friday for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. Harbaugh said they don’t have a plan yet for the offensive line, which has the most questions of all the position groups, or who will play against the Eagles. They are replacing three starting positions, and Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum is injured, temporarily creating a fourth opening. Ronnie Stanley is the only healthy set starter along the line.
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Ben Cleveland will most likely fill in for Linderbaum. Harbaugh said the Ravens are being cautious with Linderman because he can come back in without many live reps. Roger Rosengarten and Patrick Mekari have been competing at right tackle while Andrew Voorhees has been working at left guard and Daniel Faalele at right.
But that’s not to say the Ravens won’t put on a show. If position battles intrigue you, there will be storylines to watch.
“But, as far as most of the rest of the guys, we’re pretty young, it’s not like we’ll have a ton of guys not playing over the course of the season,” Harbaugh said. “So we’ll see all the guys we need to, and it will be quite a few guys.”
The biggest battles are the three offensive line positions and third safety. However, with wide receiver Rashod Bateman out with an injury, there’s an opportunity for other receivers to make a splash. That includes third-round pick Devontez Walker and newly signed veteran Russell Gage. There’s also an open battle for the third running back spot while Keaton Mitchell is recovering.
Maulet slated for surgery
Cornerback Arthur Maulet, who has had a strong camp playing in the nickel back slot, will be sidelined for at least a few weeks.
Maulet missed his first practice of training camp Tuesday, when Harbaugh announced he had a knee injury. Wednesday, Harbaugh said Maulet will undergo arthroscopic surgery, “a clean-up type of a situation” that will sideline him for a “a little while but not long term,” and that they’ll evaluate him ahead of the season.
Different health websites list varying recovery times for the procedure, anywhere from four to eight weeks.
Maulet signed a two-year deal with the Ravens in the offseason after being a contributor in 2023. The Ravens leaned on their secondary depth last season after both starters and depth guys suffered injuries. Maulet was a key part of their success. He played both on an island and in the slot.
As the nickel back, Maulet added to the pass rush with two sacks and three quarterback hits, and he graded out on PFF with an 80.3 in the pass rush. According to PFF, Maulet led defensive backs in step of separation. That means the wide receivers he was covering only pulled away from him by a step 14.3% of the time.
“I feel like Arthur was the right player for us, and we were the right team for him, and it’s really paying off,” Harbaugh said on July 31.
Through training camp, Maulet has regularly rotated in with the starters depending on what coverage they’ve been playing. He has primarily been in the slot, where he’s been good in coverage and has recorded some “sacks.” By an unofficial count, he’s a team leader in both pass defenses and interceptions.
The Ravens have tried out different combinations for when they’re in nickel, so they have some options. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey could slide inside with first-round pick Nate Wiggins or training camp standout Jalyn Armour-Davis replacing him. Pro Bowl safety Kyle Hamilton occasionally played nickel back last year when Humphrey was hurt and Maulet had to slide outside. Safeties Ar’Darius Washington, who has had a strong camp, or Eddie Jackson could then play alongside safety Marcus Williams.
Attendance
In more positive news, outside lienbacker Odafe Oweh returned to practice after missing Tuesday. Harbaugh had said Oweh “sprained his ankle a little bit.”
Starters Linderbaum and wide receiver Rashod Bateman remained out. Cornerback Trayvon Mullen, outside linebacker Quincy Roche and nose tackle Deadrin Senat also remained out.
Rookie outside linebacker Adisa Isaac, who missed all of organized team activities and mini camp and the last three weeks of training camp, was out there but remained limited.
This story was updated to clarify that Lamar Jackson has been ruled out for the first preseason game but not the entire preseason.
