The Baltimore Ravens are elevating two players from the practice squad ahead of Week 5’s AFC North matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Baltimore announced that it has elevated running back Chris Collier and defensive end Yannick Ngakoue for the game. Ngakoue signed with the Ravens practice squad on Sept. 24, which marked his return to Baltimore after last playing with the team in 2020 following a mid-season trade from the Minnesota Vikings. He’ll now make his season debut against Cincinnati.
Ngakoue has bounced around the league after playing nine games and posting three sacks in his one season with the Ravens. He’s suited up for the Las Vegas Raiders, Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears since 2020, but has tallied 23.5 sacks during that span.
After signing back with Baltimore, the Bowie, MD. native and former Maryland Terrapin talked about returning to his roots.
“I believe in God, and I believe that everything happens for a reason and it was meant for me to come back,” Ngakoue said, per the team website. “We went through peaks and valleys, just going to different spots and different places, but I feel like ultimately it was meant for me to come back here and to give my best football. … I’m a Maryland guy through and through, born and raised here. I love the locker room, love the guys here. We have a great quarterback, and I just want to be able to help get the ball back to the offense.”
As for Collier, he’ll look to see more game action after making his NFL debut in Week 3’s win over the Dallas Cowboys. He signed with the Ravens as a undrafted free agent this past offseason after playing his college ball at Division II Lock Haven University.
The Ravens and Bengals will kick off from Paycor Stadium at 1 p.m. ET.
