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Marlon Humphrey out for season as Ravens lose yet another starter to injury

Jack Baer
·Staff writer
·3-min read

Here's a story you've probably heard before. The Baltimore Ravens have lost an important player to injury.

Already smarting from a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers after an aggressive two-point conversion attempt gone wrong, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told reporters after the game that cornerback Marlon Humphrey could be out "a while" after sustaining an injury during the game.

On Monday, Harbaugh confirmed that Humphrey's season is over after he suffered a torn pectoral muscle.

Harbaugh did not specify how Humphrey was injured. Baltimore Sun reporter Jonas Shaffer speculated on Sunday that the injury came on the Steelers' go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter, during which Humphrey seemed in pain after failing to stop Diontae Johnson.

Humphrey is a two-time Pro Bowler with 55 tackles, 13 passes defended, an interception and a forced fumble this year. He signed a five-year, $98 million contract extension in Oct. 2020.

John Harbaugh: Humphrey injury led to 2-point attempt

The Humphrey injury might have occurred on the Ravens defense's final drive, but it was certainly felt by the Ravens.

Harbaugh told reporters the injury left the team basically out of cornerbacks, which played into the aggressive decision to go for two while down by one point.

From ESPN:

Asked why he went for two instead of the PAT to force overtime, Harbaugh said: "[We're] trying to win the game right there. We were pretty much out of corners at that point in time. It was an opportunity to try to win the game right there."

The Ravens are still fighting for AFC North supremacy at 8-4, one game ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals with the Steelers and Browns lurking just one game past them. Losing Humphrey would be brutal news for a team that is already without its other starting cornerback, Marcus Peters, for the season. As well as a number of other key players.

The Ravens have been dropping like flies

Injuries are inevitable in a full NFL season, but the Ravens' health issues are well past your usual collection of woes.

The team already had 16 players on injured reserve, with four more players inactive Sunday after appearing on the team's considerable injury report. Among the injuries are Peters, all three of the team's running backs in preseason, starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley, starting defensive lineman Derek Wolfe, starting inside linebacker L.J. Fort, starting safety Deshon Elliott, blocking tight end Nick Boyle and veteran outside linebacker Pernell McPhee.

That's not to mention the nine other players who carried injury designations going into the game, which included Humphrey, who was dealing with an illness.

Bizarre outcomes and brutal injuries have been the running themes of the Ravens' season, and Sunday was no different. With their remaining schedule composed of three divisional games plus dates with the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams, they can only hope things change soon.