Ingram absent from Ravens practice as concern grows about status

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Ravens running back Mark Ingram was absent from Tuesday’s practice, increasing concerns about his availability for Saturday night’s divisional playoff game against Tennessee.
Just four days after saying the 2019 Pro Bowl selection was “on track to play” against the Titans and should be practicing “full speed” this week, head coach John Harbaugh deferred to the injury report when asked about Ingram’s status two hours before Tuesday’s practice. The 30-year-old has been sidelined since injuring his left calf in the Week 16 win at Cleveland on Dec. 22, making the possibility of a setback a concerning development with Baltimore’s postseason opener only four days away.
“We’re not talking about injuries this week,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll just wait and see. You’ll know on [Saturday] on all those guys.”
According to an NFL Network report, Ingram still has a chance to play Saturday despite feeling “some tightness” in his calf recently. Second-year running back Gus Edwards would start with rookie Justice Hill backing him up if Ingram is unable to play, but Baltimore signed veteran running back Paul Perkins to their practice squad Tuesday morning, which could be interpreted as another sign of concern about Ingram’s availability.
Edwards ran for a season-high 130 yards in the Week 17 win at Pittsburgh and has averaged an impressive 5.3 yards per carry this year, but he fumbled in each of the final two games of the regular season and doesn’t provided the same all-around skill set as Ingram, who also thrives as a pass blocker and as a receiver out of the backfield.
After initial fears that he’d sustained a serious injury, Ingram was optimistic late last month that he’d be available by the start of Baltimore’s postseason run.
“I have confidence I’ll be ready to go,” Ingram said on Dec. 26. “The team’s doing a good job, the training staff’s doing a good job [with] around-the-clock treatment and getting it ready to go. I’m pretty sure I’ll be ready to go for that first playoff game.”
The only other Ravens player to miss Tuesday’s practice due to injury was reserve offensive lineman Parker Ehinger (shoulder), but tight end Mark Andrews remained a limited participant with an ankle injury sustained in Week 16. Andrews missed the regular-season finale with the injury.
Tennessee was without starting inside linebacker Jayon Brown (shoulder), starting right guard Nate Davis (illness), starting wide receiver Adam Humphries (ankle), and starting cornerback Adoree’ Jackson (foot) for Tuesday’s practice. Brown injured his shoulder in Saturday’s wild-card playoff win at New England while Humphries hasn’t played since Week 13.
Below is Tuesday’s full injury report:
BALTIMORE
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: OL Parker Ehinger (shoulder), RB Mark Ingram (calf), CB Jimmy Smith (non-injury), S Earl Thomas (non-injury)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: TE Mark Andrews (ankle)
TENNESSEE
DID NOT PARTICIPATE: LB Jayon Brown (shoulder), G Nate Davis (illness), WR Adam Humphries (ankle), CB Adoree’ Jackson (foot)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION: WR Cody Hollister (ankle), RB Dion Lewis (shoulder)
FULL PARTICIPATION: WR Kalif Raymond (concussion)