BALTIMORE — For only the second time in the last 23 months, the Ravens had 2019 All-Pro selection Ronnie Stanley back at left tackle for Sunday night’s clash with rival Cincinnati.
After logging full practices for a second consecutive week, Stanley was active and set to play in a game for the first time since the 2021 season opener in Las Vegas. The 28-year-old had missed 31 of Baltimore’s previous 32 games before returning to play against the Bengals for Week 5. Stanley suffered a severe left ankle injury on Nov. 1, 2020, an ailment that required at least three surgical procedures and threatened to derail a promising career that began as the sixth overall pick in the 2016 draft out of Notre Dame.
Stanley began practicing on Sept. 5.
“I want to be out there. I want to be out there as soon as I can, and the whole organization has kind of taken this approach,” Stanley said on Sept. 29. “We’re all on the same page about making sure I’m ready to go when I do get out there. I’m itching to get out there with my teammates, and I’m really close. I’m really close.”
Stanley became the fourth different Baltimore player to start at left tackle this season, but the Ravens hope the blindside carousel has finally come to an end. Swing tackle Patrick Mekari also returned to action for Sunday night’s game after sitting out Week 4 with an ankle sprain.
The good news prior to Sunday night’s game continued with three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Peters being active despite dealing with a quad injury late in the week. Peters sat out Friday’s practice and was designated as questionable on the final injury report, which was cause for concern with Cincinnati’s explosive group of wide receivers coming to town.
With Peters’ status in question entering the weekend, the Ravens promoted veteran cornerback Daryl Worley from the practice squad to the 53-man roster on Saturday afternoon. Baltimore also elevated outside linebacker Brandon Copleland from the practice squad for the third straight week with veteran edge rusher Justin Houston (groin) missing his second straight game.
Running back Kenyan Drake was active for the first time since Week 2 after Justice Hill was declared out Friday with the hamstring injury he sustained in the fourth quarter of the Buffalo loss last Sunday.
Signed to the 53-man roster off the New York Giants practice squad earlier this week, veteran inside linebacker A.J. Klein was deactivated for Week 5.
As expected, Cincinnati activated wide receiver Tee Higgins (ankle) and tight end Hayden Hurst (groin) despite both being designated as questionable on the final injury report.
Below were the official Week 5 inactives:
BALTIMORE
CB Jalyn Armour-Davis
ILB A.J. Klein
WR Rashod Bateman
OLB Justin Houston
RB Justice Hill
G Ben Cleveland
CINCINNATI
CB Cam Taylor-Britt
RB Trayveon Williams
OT D’Ante Smith
G Jackson Carman
DT Jay Tufele
