OWINGS MILLS —Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey returned to practice on Wednesday for the first time since injuring his calf against the Miami Dolphins on December 31st.
If Humphrey does not have any setbacks, he could play a key role in the Ravens’ matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday at 3 p.m. at M&T Bank Stadium. Humphrey was officially listed as “limited” on Wednesday’s injury report.
“Based on how much he practices, you’ll probably get a pretty good feel for [if he plays],” coach John Harbaugh said this week.
Humphrey also missed the first four games of the regular season with a foot injury.
Harbaugh credited the team’s other cornerbacks — Ronald Darby, Arthur Maulet, Rock Ya-Sin and Brandon Stephens — for playing well in Humphrey’s absence.
Humphrey, who has been named to three Pro Bowls, has been a leader in the Ravens’ secondary since being selected in the first round (16th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft. His physical style of play could bring an additional dimension to the secondary against Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Tight end Mark Andrews also is practicing again this week and could be closer to being active against Kansas City.
Andrews suffered a fractured fibula and ligament damage in his left ankle against Cincinnati on a controversial hip-drop tackle by Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson on November 16th. Despite missing six games, Andrews still ranked second on the team with 45 receptions for 544 yards and six touchdowns, best among the receivers.
He returned to practice last week as a full participant, but he did not think he was ready for the divisional playoff game against the Texans on Saturday.
Fellow tight end Isaiah Likely has scored six touchdowns in seven games since Andrews was sidelined. Quarterback Lamar Jackson is looking forward to having both players in the lineup.
“That’s my bread and butter, big bro, and it would definitely mean a lot,” Jackson said about Andrews. “We’ve already got guys who’ve stepped up, like Likely, ‘Bate’ [Rashod Bateman], ‘OB’ [Odell Beckham Jr.], ‘Nelly’ [Nelson Agholor]. We’ve got Charlie [Kolar]. We’ve got all these guys that [have] stepped up. But with Mark and the type of guy he is, the type of caliber player he is, and what he brings to the table for us, it would definitely mean a lot for us.”
Returner/wide receiver Tylan Wallace (knee) and guard Kevin Zeitler (rest) were the only Ravens who did not practice Wednesday.
