Baltimore Ravens News & Rumors

Ravens TE Isaiah Likely Undergoes Surgery For Broken Bone In Foot

AUGUST 1: Likely confirmed on Friday that his surgery took place. His recovery period will now begin as he looks to minimize the regular season time missed as a result of the procedure.

JULY 31: After having some of the best injury luck in the league last year, the Ravens were tested in the opening days of camp. Yesterday’s practice ended when tight end Isaiah Likely rolled his ankle and needed to be carted off the field. Per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, head coach John Harbaugh told reporters that Likely would miss a few weeks. News broke this morning that Likely suffered a small fracture in his foot and will be undergoing surgery this week to repair the broken bone, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

It’s an unfortunate development for Likely as he heads into the final year of his rookie contract, but the diagnosis is actually a bit of a relief for player and team. Early estimates predict about a six-week recovery for the 25-year-old, with thoughts that it could be a shorter recovery period depending on the results of the surgery. A full six weeks from today puts us midway through Weeks 1 & 2, and if he can get an expedited recovery, he could be back on the field in time for the season opener.

The Ravens aren’t likely to try to rush him back onto the field, though. They’ll be okay with him getting a late start to the season — a much better predicament than what a more severe injury could have put them in. It’s a long season, and they’ll be careful and sure that he’s ready to come back.

Likely doesn’t need to prove himself to Baltimore. Though his career-high totals from last year were modest (42 catches, 477 yards, six touchdowns), Likely has flashed serious ability over his three years in the league. It’s hard to get snaps from behind an All-Pro, three-time Pro Bowler, and franchise touchdown leader in Mark Andrews, but the Ravens have had trouble keeping Likely off the field. On occasions when Andrews has missed time with injury, Likely has shown full potential to function as a team’s TE1.

Per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), though Andrews ranked as the fourth-best tight end in the NFL last year, Likely was right behind him at seventh. They were one of only two teams to have two players in the top ten; Minnesota’s duo of T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver ranked eighth and ninth, respectively.

Baltimore is in good hands, though. TE3, who will now step up in Likely’s absence, is Charlie Kolar. Kolar ranked 20th in the league, per PFF, and when ranking tight ends purely by their receiving grades, Andrews, Kolar, and Likely appear at fourth, eighth, and ninth, respectively. Kolar will now have to keep those analytic grades up with more opportunities early in the season until Likely can get back. Also, playing in the final year of his rookie deal, Kolar could have a chance to prove himself to the free agent market, as well.

It will be interesting to see if Baltimore puts Likely on an injured list that would require him to miss the first four games of the season or if they decide to keep him on the active roster to avoid the forced absences. It could also throw a wrinkle in their roster-building plans if they decide to roster an extra tight end until Likely is full-go.

If so, it might require a free agent signing, considering the only two tight ends on the roster behind Andrews, Likely, and Kolar are Sam Pitz — an undrafted rookie — and Zaire Mitchell-Paden — a player who has failed to appear in a single NFL game since going undrafted in 2022. Whatever they decide, it will likely just be a bandage to patch things up until Likely can return.

Ravens To Work Out DL Brent Urban

Brent Urban could be back in Baltimore for yet another season. The veteran defensive lineman is set to work out for the Ravens “in the upcoming days,” according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.

The veteran will be seeking his fourth-consecutive one-year contract from Baltimore. That latest stint has seen Urban appear in 46 total games, with the defensive lineman compiling 63 tackles and four sacks while appearing in about one fourth of his team’s defensive snaps. The 34-year-old has also gotten into five playoff games over that span.

A former fourth-round pick, the Virginia product spent the first five seasons of his career in Baltimore, starting 19 of his 41 games. He spent the 2019 season between the Titans and Bears, and after collecting a career-high 2.5 sacks in Chicago in 2020, he spent the 2021 campaign with the Cowboys. He reunited with Baltimore ahead of the 2022 season.

As Zrebiec notes, Urban remains “an organizational favorite,” and his familiarity with John Harbaugh and the coaching staff would obviously make him a natural fit for the 2025 iteration of the Ravens. Baltimore is set to return the same main DL grouping of Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones, and Broderick Washington next season, and the team added the likes of John Jenkins and sixth-round pick Aeneas Peebles for some depth. Urban would likely slide in towards the bottom of the depth chart if he garners another contract from the team.

RB Latavius Murray Retires

After being unable to find an NFL opportunity in 2024, Latavius Murray is hanging up his cleats. The veteran running back announced on Thursday that he is retiring at the age of 35 (video link via NFL insider Jordan Schultz).

A sixth-round pick of the Raiders in 2013, Murray played on a rotational basis the following year before taking on starting duties. He recorded his first and only 1,000-yard campaign in 2015 and secured a Pro Bowl nod in the process. A career-best 12 rushing touchdowns during his final Raiders season set Murray up for a strong free agent market.

The UCF product landed a three-year, $15MM Vikings pact on the open market. Murray ended up spending a pair of seasons in Minnesota where he operated as part of a backfield tandem with Dalvin CookA similar setup was in place with New Orleans when Murray paired with Alvin Kamara for the 2019 and ’20 campaigns, during which he remained a consistent producer on the ground.

Murray caught on with the Ravens in 2021 shortly after being cut. As part of a Baltimore backfield ravaged by preseason injuries, he managed to handle a notable workload before finding himself on the move once again the following season. In 2022, Murray briefly returned to the Saints before signing from the practice squad to the Broncos’ active roster midway through the campaign. That decision set up a starting role to close out the season and helped earn him a Bills pact for 2023.

Logging a 32% snap share with Buffalo, Murray remained healthy but saw his yards per attempt average dip below 4.1 for the first time since 2017. That was a key factor in the Bills’ decision not to retain him, even though Murray was open to an extended stay with the team. After spending last season without a deal, today will mark the end of the line after 10 NFL seasons.

In all, Murray played 158 combined regular and postseason games over the course of his NFL tenure, totaling over 8,000 scrimmage yards and 61 touchdowns. He amassed more than $21MM in career earnings.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/28/25

Arizona Cardinals

  • Signed: CB Keni-H Lovely

Baltimore Ravens

  • Activated from non-football injury list: LB Jake Hummel

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Activated from active/NFI list: S Josh Minkins

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Jenkins, who switched to center this offseason, was dealing with a back injury in training camp and participated in a limited capacity on Monday, per USA Today’s Ryan Wood.

Evans, a sixth-round pick by the Rams in 2023, played in 10 games as a rookie but didn’t make the 53-man roster in 2024. He joined the Jets’ practice squad in December and signed a reserve/futures contract in January, but opted to retire instead.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/23/25

With several training camps underway, here are today’s minor NFL transactions:

Baltimore Ravend

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

  • Claimed off waivers (from Eagles): DE K.J. Henry

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Houston fans may be discouraged to see a few big names on injured lists, but all is not lost. Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 tells us that Mixon’s “medical outlook is positive” as the team plans to gradually increase his activity throughout camp. Likewise, Autry is expected to ease his way back into camp workouts, as well. Pierce, on the other hand, is expected to be ready to come off the list at the start of camp.

Per ESPN’s John Keim, Cosmi likely won’t see much time on the field in camp, but he appears to be hitting all the mile markers en route to being healthy for the start of the regular season. With McLaurin officially beginning his holdout yesterday, the team has made the corresponding roster move. McLaurin will rack up fines of $50K per each day missed, but if the team can come to terms on an extension, they can make sure those fines are nullified.

NFL Legal Notes: Browns, Rice, Ruggs

In keeping with her prior update on first-year running back Quinshon Judkins, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com confirmed Judkins did not report to training camp with the rest of the Browns’ rookies on Friday. Veterans are due to report on Tuesday, with the first full-squad practice scheduled for Wednesday.

Judkins, a second-round pick, was expected to compete for a significant workload right away, as only Jerome Ford was penciled in above him on the depth chart. Judkins may still see a great deal of action in 2025, but a misdemeanor domestic battery charge has put his NFL career on hold. For now, Cleveland wants Judkins to focus on resolving his legal issues, and it sounds as if the team will not sign him to his rookie contract until that happens.

And, when the legal matter is resolved, Judkins could face discipline from the NFL. Until then, players like fourth-round rookie Dylan Sampson and holdover Pierre Strong will get more reps.

Let’s take a look at a few more legal matters impacting players around the league:

  • As expected, Browns LB Devin Bush was arraigned on charges of simple assault and harassment on Friday, per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. After making 16 appearances (10 starts) in his first year in Cleveland in 2024, Bush re-signed with the club on a one-year pact in March. Although the addition of Carson Schwesinger in this year’s draft will eat into Bush’s playing time, the former first-round pick of the Steelers should remain involved in at least a rotational capacity. He will have a pre-trial hearing on August 15.
  • Despite a February DUI charge, and despite having failed to earn a role as a regular starter over his first four years in the league, the Ravens re-signed OL Ben Cleveland to a one-year deal this offseason. Baltimore appears to appreciate Cleveland’s ability to back up multiple spots on the O-line and is prepared to once again carry him on the roster as a reserve. According to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, Cleveland’s trial has been postponed to November 13. He has pleaded not guilty.
  • Chiefs WR Rashee Rice was facing three civil suits stemming from the street-racing crash that took place in March 2024 (the criminal component of the incident was recently resolved, with Rice receiving a 30-day jail sentence and five years of probation). Jesse Newell of the Kansas City Star says Rice settled one of the civil matters for $1.086MM, which will accrue interest until paid. Rice, a 2023 second-rounder, has no guaranteed money remaining on his rookie deal, and he stands to lose roughly $70K for every week he misses due to suspension in 2025 (h/t Spotrac, which also notes the club could seek repayment of a portion of Rice’s signing bonus — roughly $23K per week).
  • Like Rice, Texans RB Joe Mixon had a civil suit to resolve. As Sheree Paolello of WLWT 5 reports, Mixon settled a lawsuit involving a teenage boy who was shot with a real bullet while playing Nerf Wars near Mixon’s home in March 2023, when Mixon was still a member of the Bengals. As Paolello detailed in a full-length piece a few months after the incident, the shots were allegedly fired by the boyfriend of Mixon’s sister, though the victim’s family believed the gun and ammunition were owned by Mixon. The details of the settlement will not be released. 
  • Jordan Addison recently entered into a plea agreement in his DUI matter. While the Vikings’ wide receiver did consider going to trial, per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network (video link), he did not want the issue creating a distraction during training camp. He could still receive a suspension from the league, of course.
  • We heard in May that former Raiders WR Henry Ruggs, currently imprisoned for a drunk-driving incident that resulted in the horrific death of a woman and her dog, is eyeing an NFL return. He will be eligible for parole in August 2026, and if he is granted parole, Albert Breer of SI.com believes an NFL club could give him another chance. Breer says it is unclear whether the league would suspend Ruggs; a league official told Breer the matter would be “reviewed” when the time comes.

NFL Minor Transactions: 7/17/25

Today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Detroit Lions

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: OT Ryan Nelson

Seattle Seahawks

Ravens Sign Second-Round OLB Mike Green, Complete Rookie Deals

The Ravens are among the teams to complete the signings of the rookie classes in time for training camp. Second-round edge rusher Mike Green is now on the books.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported earlier today an agreement was expected. The Ravens have since announced that a deal has indeed been signed. Green was selected 59th overall, a slot which saw 53.7% and then 54% of the four-year pact guaranteed over the past two years (h/t Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap).

Details on Green’s deal have yet to emerge, but recent contracts worked out by rookies drafted around his slot strongly suggest it will not include guaranteed compensation through the final year. Nevertheless, the Marshall product is in position to occupy an important rotational role early on in Baltimore.

A depth spot at a minimum should await Baltimore’s latest draft investment along the edge. Odafe Oweh and Kyle Van Noy are still expected to garner the majority of the snaps at the position. However, both of those veterans are impending free agents, meaning Green’s backup role may only be temporary.

The pass rusher had a breakout campaign in 2024. Green finished the season with 84 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, and 17 sacks, leading to him earning a first-team All-American nod. That performance also helped make him a second-round pick, as the Ravens scooped him up with the 59th-overall selection in this year’s draft.

Green may have been selected higher if not for his off-the-field issues. The player has twice been accused of sexual assault, including an incident during his time at the University of Virginia. That latter accusation was followed by Green’s transfer to Marshall, although the player has continually stated that the allegations didn’t play into his decision.

As mentioned, the Ravens have now officially signed their entire draft class:

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/16/25

With rookies starting to report for training camp, we’ve got a good number of minor moves for the first time in a while today:

Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Kansas City Chiefs

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Smith, a former fourth-round pick out of Northern Iowa for the Giants, has decided to hang up his cleats, putting an end to an unfortunately injury-marred career at 26 years old. After opening up his rookie season on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury early in training camp, Smith played eight games as a rookie before suffering a neck injury that sent him back to IR. New York held out hope, activating him off of IR eight games into his sophomore campaign, but ultimately, Smith returned to IR after only five more games.

After the Giants waived him early in training camp in 2023, Smith found his way to the Jets’ practice squad in mid-October but was released at the turn of the month. Three weeks later he signed to the practice squad of the Raiders, with whom he would finish the season and sign a reserve/futures deal. Las Vegas, though, waived him with an injury designation before finalizing their 53-man roster for 2024. Smith rebounded once more with the Browns, and thanks to two gameday practice squad elevations, Smith played in two games last season — his first since 2022 — and signed a futures deal in Cleveland.

Injuries to his legs and neck early in his career derailed a career for Smith that was never really able to get going. Unfortunately, the former first-team FCS All-American’s playing time has come to an early end.

Ross reportedly asked for his release from the Chiefs, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The once promising Clemson star who totaled 1,000 yards with nine touchdowns as a freshman and 865 yards with eight touchdowns as a sophomore continues to struggle in his return to football stardom. After missing the 2020 season due to surgery addressing a congenital fusion condition of his neck and spine, Ross only amassed 524 receiving yards and three touchdowns in his final year with the Tigers before going undrafted in 2022.

Despite injuries leaving the Chiefs pretty thin at receiver at times in the past few years, Ross never was able to step up and take a spot on the offense. When his undrafted contract expired and he’d only seen action in 12 games and caught six passes totaling 53 yards, Ross signed the exclusive rights tender the team placed on him, as his only other option would’ve been to not play in 2025. Instead, he approached Kansas City with a request to be released, and the Chiefs acquiesced. The 25-year-old will go to the waiver wire, and if no teams claim him, he’ll be able to sign anywhere he wants.

Ravens Received Trade Interest In Mark Andrews, Hope To Extend Isaiah Likely

Despite months of trade speculation, Mark Andrews remains on the Ravens roster and is expected to stick with the squad for the 2025 season. While the team held on to their long-time star tight end, the front office was clearly open to making a trade. As Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic writes, the Ravens indeed received trade inquiries on the veteran, but no team was able to meet Baltimore’s asking price.

Zrebiec still leaves the door open for a potential departure, with the writer wondering how the Ravens front office would proceed if a TE-needy team comes knocking during the preseason. GM Eric DeCosta, head coach John Harbaugh, and quarterback Lamar Jackson have all endorsed Andrews sticking with the organization for at least the 2025 campaign, although the tight end’s expiring contract (and his recent playoff failures) have led to the veteran being firmly on the trade block.

Andrews has struggled to replicate his first-team All-Pro performance from 2021, when he finished with 107 catches for 1,361 yards and nine touchdowns. The 2024 campaign actually represented one of his most productive recent performances, as the 29-year-old finished the year with a career-high 11 touchdowns. Of course, Andrews drew plenty of blame for his postseason showing, including a playoff loss to the Bills when the tight end fumbled the ball on a crucial drive and dropped a game-tying two-point conversion.

The former third-round pick is entering the final season of a four-year, $56MM extension, and he’s due to carry a lofty cap charge of $16.91MM in 2025. A trade would have provided the organization with some cap relief ($11MM), although those savings aren’t nearly as important now that the offseason is all but over.

While Andrews may be preparing for his final season in Baltimore, the team is apparently focused on retaining another impending free agent tight end. Zrebiec writes that the Ravens are expected to “make a push” to extend tight end Isaiah Likely. The former fourth-round pick is coming off his most productive NFL season, with the third-year player hauling in 42 catches for 477 yards and six touchdowns.

Considering Andrews’ precarious spot on the roster, Likely could be in line for an even bigger role in 2025. With a true breakout within the realm of possibilities, the Ravens may be hoping to extend the tight end before his value shoots up.