Today’s minor moves from around the league:
Baltimore Ravens
Las Vegas Raiders
Philadelphia Eagles
San Francisco 49ers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Ravens are slowly getting healthier. After a COVID-19 outbreak decimated Baltimore’s roster and forced the team to field a JV squad against the Steelers on Wednesday — a game that was postponed multiple times — the Ravens activated several key players yesterday. And Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that quarterback Lamar Jackson is expected to come off the reserve/COVID-19 list and start against the Cowboys on Tuesday.
Jackson tested positive for the coronavirus on Thanksgiving and has now completed his 10-day quarantine. He can practice today and participate in Monday’s walkthrough in preparation for the matchup with Dallas.
The reigning league MVP has not been nearly as successful this season as he was in his 2019 coming-out party, but he remains a dynamic talent whose presence makes Baltimore a difficult out, regardless of opponent. Though the Ravens have fallen to 6-5 after a 5-1 start to the season, all but one of their defeats have come by less than a score.
Baltimore has a manageable schedule the rest of the way, with games against the Cowboys, Jaguars, Giants, and Bengals upcoming. As such, the Ravens still have a good chance at securing a playoff berth, and having Jackson under center will go a long way towards achieving that goal.
Meanwhile, the NFL-NFLPA investigation into the Ravens’ violation of COVID-19 protocols will take weeks to wrap up, as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports. We have learned that the coronavirus outbreak was largely transmitted by a strength coach who reportedly came into the team’s facility despite being ill and who did not adhere to facemask protocols. That coach has since been suspended, but several players told their agents and the union that they are also concerned about chaplains and nutritionists not following all facemask and social distancing requirements.
The league has made it clear that the Ravens have been extremely cooperative and forthcoming in the investigation, and the belief is that the outbreak is contained. Nonetheless, Baltimore will likely face at least a heavy fine as punishment for the protocol violations.
Here are the latest NFL practice squad moves:
Baltimore Ravens
Carolina Panthers
New York Giants
Multiple standout defensive linemen will be back in action in Week 13, and although the Ravens still have several players on their reserve/COVID-19 list, their roster is no longer as depleted as it was Wednesday.
Here are Friday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
Los Angeles Rams
Miami Dolphins
The hamstring injury Robert Griffin III suffered Wednesday in Pittsburgh will result in a prolonged absence. This could complicate matters for the Ravens.
While RG3 going on IR would not normally affect Baltimore’s starting lineup, it is not yet known if Lamar Jackson will be ready to return when first eligible to come off the Ravens’ reserve/COVID-19 list. Jackson tested positive for the coronavirus on Nov. 26 and cannot return to practice until Sunday. The Ravens will host the Cowboys on Tuesday night.
Baltimore used third-stringer Trace McSorley — who was recently activated from the COVID list — at the end of Wednesday’s loss to the Steelers. He would be in line to start for the Ravens against the Cowboys, should Jackson require more recovery time.
RG3 struggled against the Steelers but brings extensive NFL experience McSorley obviously lacks. An eighth-year NFL vet, Griffin has been Jackson’s backup for three years. Griffin cannot resume his QB2 duties until at least Week 16.
While the Ravens will be without Griffin for a while, they did receive word Friday they will have more depth available against Dallas. Baltimore activated J.K. Dobbins, Matt Skura, Patrick Mekari and Pernell McPhee from the virus list.
The Ravens held Dobbins and Mark Ingram out of their thrice-rescheduled game in Pittsburgh. Both backs tested positive for COVID-19 but would have been eligible to return for Week 12. Dobbins being back in action will be a boon to a Ravens team suddenly on thin ice with regards to playoff qualification.
Ravens warmups featured Robert Griffin III taking snaps from Trystan Colon-Castillo, who will play his first NFL game. But Baltimore promoted a host of reinforcements that will provide depth at other positions.
The Ravens elevated 10 players from their practice squad ahead of Tuesday’s game, filling out a roster decimated by the coronavirus and the NFL’s virus protocols.
Using the COVID-19 replacement designation, the Ravens elevated linebacker Aaron Adeoye, defensive tackle Aaron Crawford, tight end Sean Culkin, quarterback Tyler Huntley, long snapper Nick Moore, offensive lineman R.J. Prince, defensive end Chauncey Rivers, tight end Eric Tomlinson, running back Ty’son Williams and tight end Luke Willson. They also added safety Geno Stone to the reserve/COVID-19 list.
This extensive batch of pregame moves will supply the Ravens with a third-string quarterback and running back depth. Lamar Jackson is one of 17 players still on Baltimore’s reserve/COVID list, forcing today’s visiting team to promote nearly its entire practice squad. The team activated Trace McSorley from the virus list Tuesday, and Huntley — a rookie UDFA — will play behind he and RG3. Williams will slide in behind Gus Edwards and Justice Hill, with Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins ruled out.
But the Ravens’ point-of-care coronavirus tests came back negative Wednesday. After three postponements and 10 straight days of Ravens positive tests, the NFL’s first Wednesday game in eight years (and second in the past 60 seasons) is a go.
Despite being eligible to come off of the COVID-19 reserve list, Ravens running backs Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins will not play today against the Steelers, according to NBC’s Michelle Tafoya (Twitter link via Andrew Perloff of The Dan Patrick Show). The Ravens will be well-set with Gus Edwards in the backfield, but they’ll still be severely shorthanded for their afternoon tilt. 
At least 12 Ravens players have tested positive for the coronavirus, including star quarterback Lamar Jackson. Safety Geno Stone was among the latest to test positive for COVID-19 — a troubling development since he was not previously categorized as a “high-risk close contact.”
As Jonas Shaffer of the Baltimore Sun notes, the Ravens will be conducting point-of-care tests prior to kickoff in order to screen any possible new cases. And, as Mike Garafolo of NFL.com notes (on Twitter), the NFLPA will be keeping a watchful eye on those results. The union is not opposed to the game being played today, but they may push back against the league if the spread continues.
The Ravens are currently en route to Pittsburgh, but after an earlier report indicated the team did not see additional positive COVID-19 tests emerge Tuesday, it appears the team still has cases spawning.
One Ravens player and one staffer tested positive, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The Ravens previously identified these two individuals as “potential positives,” Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.
These latest cases notwithstanding, the Ravens’ 2:40pm CT Wednesday game against the Steelers remains a go. All players and staffers will undergo another coronavirus test Wednesday. The Ravens have now had a positive COVID test for 10 straight days. More than 15 players still reside on Baltimore’s reserve/COVID list.
While the Ravens did bring four players off their virus list Tuesday, they left two assistant coaches — offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris and running backs coach Matt Weiss — in Baltimore prior to takeoff. The unnamed staffer who submitted a positive virus test, however, is not believed to be a coach, per Albert Breer of SI.com (on Twitter). It is not known which Raven player is the franchise’s latest positive test, though Breer notes the player is a backup. Neither the staffer nor the player obviously traveled with the team Tuesday night.
No NFL team placed any players on the reserve/COVID list Tuesday, marking an encouraging and somewhat surprising — considering recent events — development for the league. Wednesday’s game will commence without several key players — including Lamar Jackson, Mark Andrews and James Conner — but the NFL has been dead-set against using one of its end-of-season contingency plans and postponed this game three times in order to keep it on the Week 12 docket.