It’s been a rough season for Ravens running back Derrick Henry, who lost fumbles in each of the first three games. In the fourth game Henry didn’t fumble, but he didn’t get many chances to fumble because he only ran the ball eight times, his fewest carries in a game since 2018.
Henry gained 42 yards on those eight carries, and he said afterward that however many carries he gets, he needs to find a way to make plays when the ball does go to him.
“I just try to take advantage of opportunities. I don’t try to get too caught up in that, just make something happen when I’m out there with the opportunity that I get,” Henry said.
The Ravens are 1-3 and quarterback Lamar Jackson is dealing with a hamstring injury, and Henry said he’s ready to do whatever it takes to help the Ravens turn things around.
“Bring it on,” Henry said. “I look at it with a positive mindset. We’re 1-3. Nobody’s going to do it for us. We have to do the work.”
A report from the Baltimore Sun indicated Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson could miss multiple games with the hamstring injury he suffered in Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs.
Jackson’s Wednesday practice status reflects that possibility.
According to multiple reporters on the scene, Jackson was not participating in the portion of practice open to media on Wednesday.
While head coach John Harbaugh is slated to address the media after the session, he isn’t entirely likely to confirm the validity of the report.
If Jackson is not able to play, Cooper Rush would be in line to start for the Ravens against the Texans on Sunday.
Fullback Pat Ricard, receiver Devontez Walker, left tackle Ronnie Stanley, linebacker Roquan Smith, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, cornerback Nate Wiggins, and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie also were not on the field.
Baltimore’s first injury report of the week is due out later on Wednesday.
Veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks visited the Ravens on Tuesday, but he reportedly won’t be part of their bid to improve their defensive performance.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that Kendricks turned down an offer to join the Ravens’ practice squad. Kendricks could have been elevated three times to play in games if he had signed and could be signed to the 53-man roster after that or at any other point in his tenure with the team.
Kendricks had shoulder surgery this offseason. He started 15 games for the Cowboys last season and had 138 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery in those appearances. He played for the Chargers in 2023 and spent his first eight NFL seasons in Minnesota.
Adding Kendricks wouldn’t have fixed all that’s ailed the Ravens defense through four weeks, but the team can use any and all help it can find amid a rash of injuries and ineffective play that could threaten their playoff hopes this year.
Colorado coach Deion Sanders recently confirmed that his son, Shedeur, asked both the Ravens and Eagles not to draft him. In hindsight, maybe Shedeur should have said yes.
Beyond learning the game while studying a two-time NFL MVP, Shedeur would have had a chance to play. Jackson has been injured in the past. Now that Jackson has a hamstring injury that reportedly will cause him to miss 2-3 weeks, Shedeur could have been playing as soon as Sunday, against the Texans.
Of course, Shedeur would have had to beat out Cooper Rush for the right to be Jackson’s primary backup. In Cleveland, where Shedeur believed he’d have a better shot at earning the starting job, he beat out neither Joe Flacco nor Dillon Gabriel.
Obviously, Shedeur’s path to being the full-time QB1 remains easier in Cleveland, mainly because the Browns don’t have a quarterback with skills remotely comparable to Jackson’s. Still, Jackson missed five games in 2021 and six games in 2022 (including a playoff loss). The opportunity to play apparently would have come by Week 5, with a franchise that has been far more stable and successful than the Browns.
There’s another factor to consider in Baltimore. Jackson’s contract expires after the 2027 season. The price of the franchise tag for 2028 will be beyond exorbitant. In Baltimore, Shedeur could have had a shot to be the heir to Jackson, if Shedeur had been willing to sit and learn (and periodically play) for three seasons.
Kenyon Green will get another chance in the NFL, on the Ravens’ practice squad.
The Ravens announced that they have added Green, an offensive lineman who was waived by the Eagles last week, to their practice squad today.
Green was a major disappointment in Houston after the Texans selected him with the 15th overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. This year he was traded to the Eagles, but he didn’t last long in Philadelphia.
At age 24, Green may still have time to develop into a serviceable offensive lineman, and the Ravens will give him a look.
