Joint practices should be about controlled intensity. But for the Ravens, that control hasn’t always held up. Just look at the track record. Think back to 2020, when corner Iman Marshall tore his ACL during a padded practice. A year later, Mark Andrews got tossed from a session with the Panthers after a late hit sparked a full-blown fight. And if you really want to dig deep, remember the joint practices with the 49ers in 2014? Those got so heated that coaches had to start pulling guys from reps just to keep the peace.
If there’s one thing John Harbaugh’s learned from all those preseason dust-ups, it’s this: Day 2 of joint practices is where things tend to go off the rails. So as the Ravens gear up for just one joint session with the Colts, Harbaugh’s not just trying to ‘polish’ his squad; he’s made his expectations very clear to Shane Steichen.
Harbaugh has clearly noted down his learnings from the past; he’s trying to make sure his roster keeps its limbs intact after these joint sessions. “We used to do two days, which we kind of moved past that, the second day is just a chippy day, a cheap shot day. Shane (Steichen) does a great job, we expect it to be a good, clean practice,” he said.
By keeping joint practices to just one day, Harbaugh is cutting out the classic ‘day 2 blow-up’ that’s burned teams in the past. That’s not the vibe he wants. Harbaugh’s looking for focused, disciplined contact. And he made it crystal clear: “We expect those to be good, clean practices.” It’s part expectation, part warning. Save the theatrics for Sundays.
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And with Shane Steichen? There’s a mutual trust. Since taking over in 2023, Steichen’s Colts have steered clear of the all-out brawl headlines that tend to dominate joint practice news cycles. They play tough, but they don’t cross the line. And Harbaugh respects that. He wants it to be a controlled evaluation instead of a mudfest.
Behind the scenes, the Ravens are all on the same page. Even special teams coach Patrick Ricard said, “Things end up getting chippy… and it has to be managed.” That’s exactly why Harbaugh is trimming down the joint work. By keeping it to one day, he’s taking the pressure-cooker excuse off the table. It’s important because this joint practice will be more of a test for the depth players.
Harbaugh is gearing up for a live audition
Don’t expect any star power in the Ravens’ preseason opener, and Harbaugh made that clear. “You’re not going to see the top guys… The guys you probably wouldn’t expect to see, you won’t be seeing in this game,” he said. If you were hoping to catch Lamar, Andrews, or Roquan flying around, yeah, not happening.
So yeah, the joint practice is a giant audition for fringe guys and developmental players. On offense, Cooper Rush will handle backup QB duties behind Lamar, while Devin Leary’s still in the mix but probably won’t get many reps (if any) on game day.
One guy to keep an eye on? Emery Jones Jr. The rookie tackle out of LSU was a third-round pick and has been turning heads since his pre-draft evaluations. He’s got the tools, and now he’s pushing to earn a spot in the rotation behind the starters.
Oh, and keep an eye out for Mike Green. The rookie pass rusher out of Marshall is coming off a monster 17-sack season in 2024, and now he’s looking to bring that heat to Baltimore’s edge unit. The Ravens grabbed him in the second round for a reason. The edge room’s pretty stacked, especially after Michael Pierce’s retirement forced a bit of a reshuffle up front. Brent Urban and John Jenkins are holding down the backup spots on the D-line, but Green’s pushing hard to carve out a role.
It’s not all about the rookies, though. For the corner, keep an eye on Jalyn Armour-Davis. The vet is working his way back after a hamstring injury cut his 2024 season short, and this week’s joint practice could be his shot to remind coaches he still belongs in the mix. John Harbaugh will get a lot of answers from this practice, and so will the fans.
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