Ravens add Kyle Hamilton to final Week 16 injury report

The Baltimore Ravens added All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton to their Week 16 injury report, which could threaten his availability for their upcoming matchup against the New England Patriots.

Hamilton sustained an ankle injury in Friday’s practice and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. The fourth-year safety has been Baltimore’s most important defender this season. His move from a traditional safety role into a undefinable one closer to the line of scrimmage has catalyzed the defense’s turnaround. There is no one player who can replace Hamilton, so, his absence could blow a hole in the Ravens defense, especially against a high-flying offense like the Patriots’. It is not easy to keep Hamilton off the field; this could be a true game-time decision based on his workout on Sunday afternoon.

The Ravens secondary will almost certainly be without cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, which will put 2024 fourth-rounder T.J. Tampa into a bigger game day role. Depending on Hamilton’s status, backup nickel Keyon Martin could see more snaps, too.

Here are the Ravens’ final game designations for Week 16:

Out

• LB Teddye Buchanan (knee)
• LB Jay Higgins (knee, designated to return from injured reserve)

Doubtful

• CB Chidobe Awuzie (foot)

Questionable

• S Kyle Hamilton (ankle)
• DT John Jenkins (illness)
• LT Ronnie Stanley (knee/ankle)

Jenkins’ availability is simply a question of how he’s feeling on Sunday. Elevating a defensive lineman from the practice squad on Saturday would probably be a bad sign.

Stanley went down in Week 15 and did not return, though the offense did not have another drive until garbage time. His limited participation in this week’s practice indicates that there is a real chance he misses the game, but the longtime Raven has tried to gut it out whenever possible.

If Stanley cannot go, the Ravens will have an interesting decision to make between veteran Joe Noteboom and rookie Carson Vinson. Noteboom was the team’s swing tackle to start the season, but he has been a healthy scratch in favor of Vinson for four of the last five games. Considering Stanley’s injury history, that alone spoke volumes about the coaching staff’s confidence in Vinson (and/or concern about Noteboom), and giving him a start on Sunday would say even more.