With roster spots open following two season-ending injuries in Week 6, the Ravens have promoted running back Bobby Rainey from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.
One of the most surprising standouts of the preseason, Rainey initially made the 53-man roster following the preseason before the Ravens waived him in favor of fellow running back Anthony Allen for special-teams purposes just hours before the season opener on Sept. 10. The rookie confirmed his promotion via his personal Twitter account.
The undrafted free agent from Western Kentucky landed on Baltimore’s practice squad a day after being removed from the active roster. The 5-foot-8 running back rushed for 55 yards on 23 carries and was the team’s leading receiver in the preseason, catching 14 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns.
“Bobby Rainey is a big part of our plans,” said coach John Harbaugh about the decision to waive Rainey following the Week 1 win. “I texted Bobby before the game. He is, rightly so, kind of upset about it. Bobby is a guy that I cherish. We just did it for special teams reasons, pure and simple.”
The Ravens announced cornerback Lardarius Webb was placed on injured reserve to make room for Rainey’s promotion to the 53-man roster. The team has yet to announce the official move of linebacker Ray Lewis going to IR as well.
