The Baltimore Ravens announced on Monday that multiple people had tested positive for COVID-19, causing the Under Armour Performance Center to be shut down. While no names have been officially released yet, Mike Garofolo of NFL Network said running backs Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins tested positive and will be going on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
The Ravens do have a deep running back stable, entering the season with four players at the position. But losing two is still going to be extremely tough for Baltimore to deal with, especially on a short week in which they have to play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thanksgiving night.
While the virus itself is a major concern for those two players, their families, and anyone else they’ve been in close contact with, it’s an especially disappointing turn of events for the Ravens after Dobbins performed so well on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. Though Baltimore still split carries a bit in Week 11, Dobbins rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, adding another two receptions for 15 yards. The Ravens were finally starting to feed Dobbins in games and he was making the most of the opportunities, cementing himself as the top performer of the group.
It’s unclear if there are any other players or personnel that have tested positive or what the contact tracing will find in terms of close contacts, but Baltimore has been hit hard by COVID-19 and the league’s protocols earlier in the season. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey missed Week 9’s game against the Indianapolis Colts after testing positive for COVID-19, but seven other players were put on the Reserve/COVID-19 list after being deemed “high-risk close-contact” cases, causing them to miss the week of practice leading up to the game.
Barring any sudden roster additions or the need for other players to enter isolation due to close contact, the Ravens will enter this game with Gus Edwards and Justice Hill as their top running backs.
