The Ravens activated tight end Josh Oliver from the reserve-COVID-19 list on Tuesday, meaning every player from their 53-man roster is now available after they dealt with numerous absences in the latter half of December.
Oliver missed two games after testing positive for the virus on Dec. 23 and has appeared in 13 games in his first season with Baltimore, making eight catches for 65 yards in 136 offensive snaps. The 2019 third-round pick out of San Jose State was acquired from Jacksonville in exchange for a 2022 seventh-round pick last March.
Baltimore currently has a roster exemption for Oliver, meaning he can resume practicing without counting against the 53-man roster limit.
The Ravens also activated cornerback Kevin Toliver from the practice squad COVID-19 list, which leaves only cornerback Mazzi Wilkins on that version of Baltimore’s list.
Running back Jacques Patrick has joined the Ravens’ practice squad after running back Nate McCrary landed on practice squad injured reserve last week. Patrick appeared in two games with San Francisco earlier this season and was most recently a member of Carolina’s practice squad.
“A chance” again
For the fourth straight week, head coach John Harbaugh said Lamar Jackson has “a chance” to play this Sunday, but his practice participation — or lack thereof — will paint the more telling picture about the Pro Bowl quarterback’s chances of returning for the regular-season finale.
Last Wednesday, Jackson practiced for the first time since injuring his right ankle on Dec. 12, but he moved with a significant limp and didn’t practice again the rest of the week, ultimately sitting out his third straight game against the Los Angeles Rams.
“He’s been pushing to try to come back and play and practice,” Harbaugh said Monday. “There’s a chance that he’ll play on Sunday.”
Harbaugh said rookie outside linebacker Odafe Oweh also has a chance to return to play against Pittsburgh after sitting out Week 17 with a foot injury.
Some “Sizzle” for Week 18
The Ravens announced seven-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker and 2011 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Terrell Suggs will be the “Legend of the Game” on Sunday, which is fitting with Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger expected to play the final game of his Hall of Fame career.
The two faced off from 2004 through 2018 as pillars of a Baltimore-Pittsburgh rivalry that’s been one of the NFL’s best for two decades.
“I’ve been going 14 years against Suggs, and he’s a first-ballot [Hall of Fame] guy for me,” Roethlisberger said in 2018. “I’m not trying to pump him up because we’re about to play them. I truly feel that way. I think there’s a lot of mutual respect there. It’s a special rivalry he and I have.”
This will be Suggs’ first appearance at M&T Bank Stadium since he faced the Ravens as a member of the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2 of the 2019 season.
Sizzle is coming back to the Bank. @untouchablejay4 is Sunday's Legend of the Game
pic.twitter.com/ZpZZcrNxqC— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 4, 2022
