ExtremeRavens Posted Saturday at 10:08 PM Posted Saturday at 10:08 PM The Ravens will be without one of their top playmakers for Sunday’s must-win game. Wide receiver Rashod Bateman was ruled out Saturday with an illness for Sunday night’s de facto AFC North championship game against the host Pittsburgh Steelers. Bateman was initially listed as questionable Friday after missing practice all week. Coach John Harbaugh said Friday that Bateman “had a pretty serious flu situation all week” but that the wide receiver did some individual drills before Friday’s practice. Harbaugh said he expected the illness to “clear up by Sunday.” Cornerback Marlon Humphrey also missed Friday’s practice with an illness and was ruled questionable to play. “I think a lot of teams are dealing with this right now around the league,” Harbaugh said of the illnesses. If Humphrey can’t play, Chidobe Awuzie would likely step into a starting role on the outside. Awuzie has played 436 snaps at outside corner this season, allowing 23 catches for 259 yards and one touchdown. Bateman, 26, has just 19 catches for 224 yards this season. He missed two games with a high ankle sprain that he suffered in a win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 10. This past summer, the 2021 first-round draft pick signed a three-year contract extension worth $36.75 million, with $20 million guaranteed, making him the first wide receiver in the organization’s 30-year history to receive a third multiyear contract with the team. In other moves, the Ravens elevated wide receiver Keith Kirkwood and defensive back Amani Oruwariye from the practice squad for Sunday night’s game. Kirkwood, 32, has 24 catches for 294 yards and three touchdowns in his career with the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers but hasn’t played in an NFL game since late in the 2023 season. Oruwariye, a seven-year pro, has played one game with the Ravens this season, with all of his snaps coming on special teams. Defensive tackle Taven Bryan, who signed midseason to help bolster an injury-plagued front, was not activated from injured reserve and was downgraded to out for Sunday’s game. Have a news tip? Contact C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article Quote
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