The Ravens have added a former Pro Bowl edge rusher to their outside linebacker rotation for Sunday’s AFC North battle with Cincinnati.
After two weeks of practice, former University of Maryland star Yannick Ngakoue was elevated from the practice squad to play in Week 5, which will officially begin his second stint with Baltimore. A 2017 Pro Bowl selection with Jacksonville, the 29-year-old was acquired by general manager Eric DeCosta at the 2020 trade deadline, but Ngakoue’s impact was minimal with only three sacks in 11 games including the postseason. The 6-foot-2, 246-pound pass rusher left the Ravens via free agency the following March and collected 23 1/2 sacks in the three seasons to follow.
Finishing last year on injured reserve with Chicago because of a broken ankle, Ngakoue hadn’t been with a team in the spring or summer before signing to the practice squad on Sept. 24. The Ravens do have an opening on their 53-man roster, so a strong performance against the Bengals could result in Ngakoue being promoted to the active roster going forward.
“It was meant for me to come back,” Ngakoue said last week. “I went through peaks and valleys just going [to] different spots and places, but I feel like ultimately it was meant for me to come back here to give my best football.”
In 123 career regular-season games with Jacksonville, Minnesota, Baltimore, Las Vegas, Indianapolis, and Chicago over eight seasons, Ngakoue has collected 69 career sacks. He had four with the Bears in 13 games last year.
After electing not to activate running back Rasheen Ali (neck) from injured reserve on Saturday, the Ravens elevated rookie running back Chris Collier from the practice squad for the third straight week. He will serve as the No. 3 back behind starter Derrick Henry and top reserve Justice Hill.
Baltimore will enter Sunday with 54 players eligible to play against the Bengals, meaning there will be a total of six inactives. With Ngakoue elevated, rookie outside linebacker Adisa Isaac could end up being a healthy scratch after playing just 14 defensive snaps against Buffalo last Sunday.
