The Bengals officially won’t have wide receiver Tee Higgins (quad) or offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. (knee/fibula).
Both were ruled out for Thursday Night Football.
Higgins was doubtful and Brown questionable heading into today.
The Bengals’ other inactives are wide receiver Charlie Jones (groin), running back Kendall Milton, tight end Tanner McLachlan and defensive tackle Cedric Johnson.
The Ravens’ inactives are cornerback Tre’Davious White, tight end Isaiah Likely (hamstring), cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis (knee), defensive end Brent Urban (concussion), running back Rasheen Ali (ankle), outside linebacker Adisa Isaac and center Nick Samac.
Baltimore acquired White in a trade from the Rams on Tuesday.
Last November 16, the Bengals played the Ravens in Baltimore. During the game, Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury.
This week, he slipped a tinfoil hat over his frosted tips and suggested that the league likes to recreate games that entailed a serious injury the prior year.
Regardless of whether there’s merit to that (the Jets and Aaron Rodgers did indeed host the Bills again on Monday Night Football, but in Week 6 not Week 1), Burrow will be back in Baltimore for another Thursday night game. And his wrist injury continues to appear on each and every injury report, nearly a year after it happened.
Of course, the Bengals might be disclosing the injury for the same reason the Patriots perpetually listed Tom Brady’s right shoulder injury. They don’t want to hear that they’re not disclosing the condition.
There was a dustup last year as to whether Burrow had a pre-existing injury. He was spotted wearing a wrap on his arm and wrist during the trip to Baltimore.
The league investigated and then exonerated the Bengals. Because that’s what the league is inclined to do. In an age of legalized gambling from which the NFL handsomely profits, the league won’t be blowing the whistle on a team hiding injuries that hamper prop bets and other wagers?
Despite the injury continuously showing up on the report, Burrow has been playing well. He had five touchdown passes on Sunday. He’ll need to play nearly as well tonight, if the Bengals hope to move to 5-5 through 10 games.
Running back Keaton Mitchell is set to make his 2024 debut.
The Ravens announced that they activated Mitchell from the physically unable to perform list ahead of Thursday night’s game against the Ravens. Mitchell has been out since injuring his knee last December.
Mitchell ran 47 times for 396 yards and two touchdowns after making the Ravens as an undrafted free agent last year. He joins Derrick Henry and Justice Hill in the Baltimore backfield.
As previously reported, the Ravens waived edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue to open a spot for Mitchell on the 53-man roster.
The Ravens also announced that they have elevated defensive lineman Josh Tupou and linebacker Kristian Welch from the practice squad.
The Bengals have announced a pair of elevations for Thursday night’s game against the Ravens.
Cincinnati has brought up offensive tackle Devin Cochran and tight end Cam Grandy for the contest.
Starting offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. (knee/fibula) is questionable for the contest, making Cochran an option for depth. Brown was listed as limited on Cincinnati’s last two injury reports. He did not play in last Sunday’s win over the Raiders.
Cochran played one offensive snap in the win over Las Vegas.
The Bengals are down a tight end with Erick All suffering an ACL tear on Sunday. Grandy, an undrafted free agent out of Illinois State, will be making his regular-season debut after signing with Cincinnati in May.
Khalil Herbert just joined the Bengals a couple of days ago, but he’s set to suit up for this week’s game.
Per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Herbert is expected to make his Cincinnati debut against Baltimore tonight.
Herbert, 26, had fallen out of the rotation in Chicago before he was traded before the deadline. He’s taken just eight carries for 16 yards with a touchdown this year and caught two passes for 4 yards. Last season, Herbert totaled 745 yards from scrimmage with 611 yards on the ground and 20 catches for 134 yards.
The Bengals had a need at running back with Zack Moss sidelined by a neck injury.
Quarterback Joe Burrow said that if necessary, he can lean over and tell Herbert what to do in in the backfield pre-snap.
Kickoff between the Bengals and Ravens is set for 8:15 p.m. ET.
