Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum did not practice Friday after suffering a back injury. He did not appear on the injury report previously.
Linderbaum, the No. 25 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, earned his first career Pro Bowl selection last season and has picked up right where he left off. The Iowa product hasn’t allowed a single sack all season according to Pro Football Focus, and his 83.2 overall grade ranks third among all centers behind Creed Humphrey of the Kansas City Chiefs and Frank Ragnow of the Detroit Lions. Penalties have been a bit more of an issue for him than last year (like the rest of the Ravens’ offensive line), but aside from that, he’s been excellent once again.
If Linderbaum can’t play Monday night against the Los Angeles Chargers, Ben Cleveland would likely get the nod at center. Cleveland, a natural guard, played center while Linderbaum nursed an injury in the preseason, and played fairly well aside from one bad snap. He hasn’t played much this season, only appearing on 11 offensive snaps, but will be ready if needed.
Another new addition to the injury report is wide receiver Rashod Bateman, who did not participate as he deals with a knee injury. Bateman did not appear to suffer any injury last week, so this is an all-new one. The fourth-year pro has already surpassed his career-highs with 531 yards and four touchdowns, and has established himself as a solid No. 2 receiver behind Zay Flowers.
Linebacker Roquan Smith, who suffered a hamstring injury in Sunday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, did not practice for the third-straight day. Smith, a first-team All-Pro in each of the past two seasons, has yet to miss a game as a Raven due to injury. If he can’t go Monday, it’s going to be very hard to fill his void.
“Definitely, definitely it will be a challenge if Roquan can’t go,” defensive coordinator Zach Orr said Friday. “Like you said, we’re holding out hope and everything like that. I think it’ll just be by committee. Not one person is going to replace Roquan. Roquan’s an every-down linebacker [and] a top linebacker in this league [and] All-Pro for a reason.”
Wide receiver Nelson Agholor returned to practice after missing Thursday’s due to illness. Safety Kyle Hamilton and outside linebacker Odafe Oweh, both dealing with neck injuries, were full participants for the second-straight day.
Other players who did not participate include defensive tackle Travis Jones (ankle), cornerback Arthur Maulet (calf) and safety Sanoussi Kane (ankle), all of whom missed their second-straight day of practice. Center Nick Samac appeared on the injury report with a chest injury, though he was a limited participant.
