OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Fresh off the bye week, the Ravens returned to the practice field without suspended wide receiver Diontae Johnson on Monday.
Whether there’s a path for him to be back with Baltimore after a one-game ban remains to be seen as head coach John Harbaugh deferred to the statement made by general manager Eric DeCosta last week. The Ravens suspended Johnson for “refusing to enter” the Week 13 loss to Philadelphia.
“I think the statement said that there would be no further comment on that, so we’ll just kind of leave it at that,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll see where it goes as time permits.”
For what it’s worth, wide receivers Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman denied Johnson’s situation being a distraction for the team with Flowers saying he’d “be welcomed back” after his suspension. In four games since being acquired from Carolina in late October, Johnson has registered just one catch for six yards on five targets.
Aside from Johnson’s absence, the Ravens were missing only one other player from their 53-man roster during Monday’s practice as rookie safety Sanoussi Kane continues to recover from a hamstring injury suffered against the Eagles.
A Week 14 bye hardly seemed ideal when the 2024 schedule was released in May, but the Ravens couldn’t ask to be in better shape from a health standpoint this late in the season.
“I can find a lot of positives in it being this past week. It felt like it was at the right time,” Harbaugh said. “I think it’s an opportunity for us to kind of just heal up, freshen up, and continue to get stronger. We want to play our best football right now. That’s what we’re really focusing on doing.”
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After being inactive in Week 13 due to hamstring and neck injuries, veteran outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy returning to the practice field was a good sign for Baltimore’s pass rush.
Bateman also deemed himself good to go after missing most of the second half of the 24-19 loss to Philadelphia with knee soreness. His availability down the stretch becomes even more important with Johnson’s future with the team in doubt.
“The bye week was big for me. I was able to get healthy,” Bateman said. “I got back on the practice field [and] felt good, so I’m looking forward to finishing the season strong.”
Harbaugh said defensive tackles Travis Jones (ankle) and Michael Pierce (calf) practiced fully on Monday. Pierce was designated to return to practice from injured reserve before the Philadelphia game, but he wasn’t activated in time to play in Week 13. Jones has been playing through an ankle injury suffered in the Week 7 win over Tampa Bay.
