Baltimore Ravens News & Rumors

Bills Place K Tyler Bass On IR

The Bills have placed veteran kicker Tyler Bass on injured reserve, per a team announcement.

Bass was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice due to a hip/groin issue that will now sideline him for at least four games, including Sunday night’s matchup with the Ravens. Though he has yet to finish a season with a conversion rate above 90%, Bass has been a reliable kicker for his five-year career in Buffalo and hit a career-long 61-yard field goal in 2024.

After Bass went down on Wednesday, the Bills quickly moved to sign Matt Prater to the practice squad as an injury replacement on Thursday. The former Broncos, Cardinals, and Lions kicker missed most of the 2024 season due to a torn meniscus; before that, he made 83.6% of his career field goal attempts, so Buffalo should be able to trust him while Bass is recovering. The Bills can only elevate Prater from the practice squad three times, so they will need to sign him to the active roster if he is going to replace Bass in all four games (and potentially more).

The Bills are also likely to be without veteran cornerback Tre’Davious White on Sunday. He did not practice all week due to a groin injury and is listed as doubtful on the injury report.

The Ravens also ruled out a few key players for Sunday Night Football: fullback Patrick Ricard and tight end Isaiah Likely. Likely is an expected absence as he recovers from preseason foot surgery, while Ricard has missed multiple weeks of practice with a calf injury. Cornerback Jaire Alexander, however, is off the injury report and expected to make his debut in purple and black.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/3/25

Today’s practice squad moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Signed: CB Eli Ricks
  • Released: OL Hollin Pierce

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

  • Released: DL Isaiah Raikes

The Ravens added a notable special teamer to their taxi squad today, agreeing to a deal with veteran J.T. Gray. The 29-year-old spent his entire professional career with the Saints before getting cut by the team last week. The majority of Gray’s playing time has come on special teams, where he’s earned three All-Pro nods for his efforts. As Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic notes, the veteran will likely see a role in Baltimore, as the team is still looking to fill holes left by a handful of departed core special teamers this past offseason.

To accommodate the addition of old friend Gabe Davis to the practice squad, the Bills had to get a bit creative. Temporarily, the team has released veteran safety Jordan Poyer, but the former Buffalo starter shouldn’t be gone for long. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, Poyer is expected to rejoin the Bills practice squad once Davis is placed on the taxi squad injured list.

The Lions landed on a third-string quarterback after holding an audition earlier today. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports that the team has signed C.J. Beathard to the practice squad. Beathard worked out for the team earlier today alongside Nathan Peterman. Beathard has only started one game since garnering 12 starts for the 49ers between 2017 and 2020. He split last season with the Jaguars and Dolphins without getting into a game. In Detroit, he’ll serve as a third-stringer behind Jared Goff and Kyle Allen.

Latest On Ravens’ Recovery Outlooks

September 3: Likely is not expected to play in Baltimore’s regular-season opener against the Bills on Sunday night, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. He avoided landing on the IR to start the season, raising hopes that he would be available early in the season. However, his 2025 debut will not come in Week 1, but his recovery is proceeding smoothly.

Cornerback Jaire Alexander is practicing for the first time since August 9 as he dealt with a knee issue, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. However, fullback Patrick Ricard has been absent since August 14 and seems “highly questionable” to play in Buffalo, per Zrebiec.

August 30: The Ravens have worked to improve how they’re taking care of their players in the offseason and training camp ever since the 2021 season saw them lose Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins, Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, Lamar Jackson, and even their mascot, Poe, to season-ending injuries. They aren’t immune to preseason injuries, though, and a few updates have come through on the injuries Baltimore is dealing with.

Early in the preseason, the Ravens saw rookie sixth-round cornerback Bilhal Kone go down with a season-ending knee injury. At this point, Kone’s now undergone full repairs on the torn ACL and MCL, as well as the lateral meniscus damage. His recovery timeline, per Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports, is set to be around 10-12 months. It will be a tough road back for the rookie out of Western Michigan, but barring any setbacks, he should be able to make his NFL debut in 2026.

A player with a much shorter recovery timeline, tight end Isaiah Likely is expected to be back “at some point in the early part of the season,” per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Likely needed surgery for a broken bone in his foot at the beginning of the month. Many expected that he may end up on injured reserve with a designation to return, but the Ravens kept him on the active roster, meaning that they don’t expect Likely to miss the first four weeks of the season.

Zrebiec also gave an update on rookie third-round offensive tackle Emery Jones. He’s starting the season on the reserve/non-football injury list as he recovers from surgery a week after the combine for a shoulder injury that Baltimore knew all about when they drafted him. They’ll allow some time for him to get back in shape once healthy, so there’s no rush, but it sounds like they do expect him to get on the field as a rookie at some point.

Ravens Not Done With Extension Talks; Lamar Jackson, Others On Deck

The Ravens have been busy throughout the offseason getting ahead of future contract decisions by extending key players. While Pro Bowl left tackle Ronnie Stanley was in danger of testing the free agent market when he signed his new deal, other players the team extended this offseason — All-Pro running back Derrick Henry, wide receiver Rashod Bateman, and most recently, All Pro safety Kyle Hamilton — all had one or two years left on their contracts when they signed. Even with all they’ve done so far, the team sees work to be done, and it may begin with their MVP.

All Pro quarterback Lamar Jackson is about to enter the third year of a five-year, $260MM contract. At one point a deal that made Jackson the highest-paid player in NFL history, the contract’s annual average value ($52MM) currently ranks 10th in the league and is beginning to be encroached upon by non-quarterbacks; Micah Parsons‘ new deal is worth $46.5MM per year, which is good for the 12th-highest such average in the NFL. It was reported in March that the Ravens were looking to put together a new deal for their star passer, and by June, talks were already underway.

According to general manager Eric DeCosta, Baltimore isn’t resting on its laurels as extension conversations with Jackson have been “ongoing.” DeCosta declined to go into detail on the situation, confirming with reporters that discussions with his quarterback would remain private.

“I like to work kind of in the dark, quietly, and try to get as much done as we can,” DeCosta told the media (via Ravens staff writer Clifton Brown). “We’ve got a lot of different things going on. We’ve got a lot of really good players; we’ve got players that deserve to be paid well, and we’re trying to keep those guys. Knowing that, as I’ve said 1,000 times, you can’t keep everybody.”

There are plenty of players for Baltimore to target with new contracts. The focus, so far, has been on players with time remaining on their current deals, but center Tyler Linderbaum, defensive tackle Travis Jones, fullback Patrick Ricard, edge rushers Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh, and all three tight ends — Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, and Charlie Kolar — are set to play on contract years.

DeCosta is certainly correct, they can’t keep everybody, but they definitely can’t keep everybody if they allow Jackson to play on a contract that holds a $74.5MM cap hit in 2026, nearly a quarter of the team’s salary cap space for that season. We’ve already discussed in detail how an extension for Jackson may look and how the Bills may have given them the formula for success. Regardless of the details, figuring out what Jackson’s financial future looks like should factor in to how many pending free agents the Ravens can afford to try to retain.

Ravens Extend S Kyle Hamilton

AUGUST 29: Hamilton’s fully guaranteed money includes a signing bonus, his 2025 and ’26 base salaries, and a 2026 option bonus, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes. More significantly in the long term, Hamilton secured a rolling guarantee structure. His $17MM 2027 base salary shifts from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee in 2026. His $17MM 2028 base salary makes that shift in 2027, providing advanced security for the young standout.

While Hamilton’s 2029 base salary ($17.9MM) is nonguaranteed, he will collect a $1MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the ’29 league year, Florio adds. Since the deal tacks four years onto his through-2026 rookie contract, Hamilton is signed through 2030. There is also a $1MM roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2030 league year. This marks the second time (in the fifth-year option era) the Ravens have paid a first-rounder with two years left on a rookie contract; they did the same with Marlon Humphrey in 2020.

AUGUST 27: The Ravens have eyed a Kyle Hamilton extension for a lengthy stretch. As the season nears, Baltimore has one of its 2022 standout first-rounders locked in long term.

Hamilton has agreed to a deal that makes him the NFL’s highest-paid safety, the team announced (via The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec). While fellow 2022 first-rounder Tyler Linderbaum remains on his rookie deal, Hamilton has reset the safety market.

This extension will move the bar far north at safety, with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting the Ravens are giving Hamilton a four-year, $100.4MM deal. Of that amount, $82MM is guaranteed, including $48MM in fully guaranteed money, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. While this is a significant increase over the top of the safety market – set earlier this year by Kerby Joseph just over $21MM – it’s also somewhat reflective of increase in cornerback pay this offseason.

More than anything, of course, Hamilton’s contract is a reflection of his status as one of the best – if not the best – safeties in the NFL. He’s coming off back-to-back Pro Bowls and a ninth-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting after turning around Baltimore’s pass defense with his move to a more traditional safety role in 2024. His versatility and impact can be felt at all three levels of the field, similar to the Chargers’ Derwin James.

Appropriately, Hamilton’s deal is essentially James’ 2022 extension adjusted for cap inflation. James received $19MM per year, which accounted for 9.1% of the salary cap at the time, per OverTheCap. Hamilton’s $25MM APY represents just under 9.0% of the 2025 cap. Though it’s an expensive deal, the 24-year-old has two years remaining on his rookie contract. Adding four years and $100.4MM to that deal will keep Hamilton in Baltimore through the 2030 season for $20.3MM per year, which could become a steal as the cap continues to rise in the coming years.

The Ravens drafted Hamilton 14th overall in 2022 and have seen him soar to the All-Pro tier. With two original-ballot Pro Bowls on his resume, Hamilton secured the top fifth-year option price at safety ($18.6MM). His new deal checks in well north of that in terms of per-year average, and it will give future impact safeties a price to target.

The recent CB boom — which Patrick Surtain reset last year only to see the deal topped a few times over since — illustrates how quickly a market-setting contract can be eclipsed by others using it as a benchmark. After all, Antoine Winfield Jr. became the NFL’s first $20MM-per-year safety barely a year ago. That said, safety value has fluctuated over the years. As a result, Hamilton’s AAV may top the market for a while — particularly given the Notre Dame alum’s versatile skillset that is so pivotal to Baltimore’s defensive blueprint.

Hamilton is now the second-highest-paid Raven — behind only Lamar Jackson — representing rare status for a safety. The Ravens will now turn their attention to Linderbaum, who did not see his fifth-year option exercised due to the option formula grouping all O-linemen together. The Ravens want to pay their All-Pro center before season’s end.

Nikhil Mehta contributed to this post.

Wednesday NFL Transactions: AFC North

Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These BengalsBrownsRavens and Steelers moves are noted below.

Baltimore Ravens

Signed to practice squad:

Cincinnati Bengals

Signed to practice squad:

Reverted to IR:

Cleveland Browns

Claimed:

Waived:

Signed to practice squad:

Pittsburgh Steelers

Signed to practice squad:

2025 NFL Waiver Order

Many of the players cut Tuesday were subject to waivers, giving teams a chance to pick them up (along with the rest of their contract). Teams can claim as many players as they want before the next team gets their remaining targets.

It’s also worth noting that relatively few players are claimed off waivers during final roster cuts each year. Waiver claims will be processed at 11am CT in the following order (via NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo). In reverse order of the 2024 NFL standings, here is how the waiver priority sits:

  1. Titans
  2. Browns
  3. Giants
  4. Patriots
  5. Jaguars
  6. Raiders
  7. Jets
  8. Panthers
  9. Saints
  10. Bears
  11. 49ers
  12. Cowboys
  13. Dolphins
  14. Colts
  15. Falcons
  16. Cardinals
  17. Bengals
  18. Seahawks
  19. Buccaneers
  20. Broncos
  21. Steelers
  22. Chargers
  23. Packers
  24. Vikings
  25. Texans
  26. Rams
  27. Ravens
  28. Lions
  29. Commanders
  30. Bills
  31. Chiefs
  32. Eagles

Ravens Set Initial 53-Man Roster

Every year, the Ravens are one of the last teams to announce their roster moves to get down to 53 players. Finally, via a team press release, Baltimore’s initial 53-man roster is set with the following transactions:

Waived

  • CB Jalyn Armour-Davis
  • WR Jahmal Banks
  • S Beau Brade
  • WR Malik Cunningham
  • G Darrian Dalcourt
  • OL Garrett Dellinger
  • OLB Malik Hamm
  • S Desmond Igbinosun
  • S Keondre Jackson
  • DL Jayson Jones
  • QB Devin Leary
  • OT Gerad Lichtenhan
  • ILB Chandler Martin
  • TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden
  • DL Adedayo Odeleye
  • DL C.J. Okoye
  • G Jared Penning
  • DL C.J. Ravenell
  • CB Marquise Robinson
  • OLB Kaimon Rucker
  • C Nick Samac
  • FB Lucas Scott
  • TE Scotty Washington

Released

Waived with injury settlement

Placed on injured reserve (with return designation)

Placed on reserve/NFI

  • OT Emery Jones

Placed on reserve/PUP

The Ravens opted to keep tight end Isaiah Likely on the 53-man roster after his recent foot surgery, indicating that the team expects him back in the first four weeks of the regular season.

Armour-Davis is Baltimore’s most surprising cut. The 2022 fourth-round pick struggled with injuries across the first few years of his career, but had a solid training camp. Baltimore opted to keep undrafted rookie Keyon Martin instead after an impressive showing in the preseason.

Brade, who made the 53-man roster as a UDFA last year, was beaten out by undrafted rookie Reuben Lowery for the Ravens’ fourth safety spot. Brade, a former University of Maryland standout, is expected to return to the practice squad if he clears waivers, per KRPC2’s Aaron Wilson.

Baltimore is also hoping to bring Lichtenhan, a 6-f0ot-8, 328-pound offensive tackle, back on their practice squad if he sneaks through waivers, according to FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

Urban will likely re-sign to the Ravens practice squad on Wednesday in a handshake deal after being cut from the active roster.

Isaac and Wade suffered injuries late in training camp and will have to spend the first four weeks of the season on injured reserve. Isaac’s IR placement cleared a spot for David Ojabo to make the roster despite appearing to be on the bubble in the preseason.

Jones has been dealing with a mysterious shoulder injury that required surgery earlier this year. He has yet to hit the practice field as a Raven and will be sidelined for at least four more weeks to start the season.

Ravens LB Jake Hummel Underwent Minor Hand Procedure, Will Make 53-Man Roster

The Ravens’ roster picture became even clearer on Monday with head coach John Harbaugh confirming that veteran linebacker and special teams ace Jake Hummel would make the 53-man roster.

“He’s going to be a big part of what we’re doing,” said Harbaugh, who also revealed that Hummel has a minor hand procedure this week. The former Ram missed part of the spring due to the birth of his son and started training camp on the non-football injury list due to an issue with his hand. He returned to practice and played in Baltimore’s first two preseason game before sitting out the third.

Harbaugh also said that he expects Hummel to return to practice next week and be “good to go” for the Ravens’ regular season opener in Buffalo.

Hummel will be the fourth linebacker on Baltimore’s 53-man roster, along with All-Pro Roquan Smith, 2023 third-rounder Trenton Simpson, and rookie Teddye Buchanan. The Ravens could keep a fifth after an impressive preseason from undrafted rookie Jay Higgins. He recorded six tackles, one sack, one bat-down, and one interception on his way to a 90.9 grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked fourth among all linebackers.

Harbaugh also provided some injury updates on wide receiver Xavier Guillory and Dayton Wade. Guillory, an undrafted rookie out of Arizona State, broke his clavicle, while Wade, a second-year UDFA, had chest surgery. Both are candidates to be placed on injured reserve, potentially ending their season, though neither was expected to make the 53-man roster.

NFL Minor Transactions: 8/25/25

Today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

  • Waived: CB M.J. Devonshire, OT Reid Holskey, TE Baylor Cupp

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings appeared to shop around Leroy Watson before ultimately deciding to waive the OL, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. A former tight end, Watson has emerged as an offensive lineman in the NFL, garnering 11 appearances through two seasons in the league. He started all four of his appearances for the Titans in 2024.