Ravens rookie Nate Wiggins in car accident, will not play Sunday vs. Raiders
By Brian Wacker, Baltimore Sun,
2024-09-13
Ravens rookie cornerback Nate Wiggins was in a car accident “a couple days ago” and will not play in Sunday’s home opener against the Las Vegas Raiders, coach John Harbaugh said Friday.
Wiggins missed practice Thursday and Friday in Owings Mills and was ruled out with a neck injury and a concussion. The 2024 first-round draft pick was also absent Monday, though he did participate Wednesday and was not listed on the injury report until a day later.
“He’s fine, he’s healthy,” said Harbaugh, who did not disclose any other details. “But he’s not going to be able to play.”
The circumstances of the accident were not immediately clear; Baltimore County and state police told The Baltimore Sun they have no record of the incident. But Wiggins is at least the third Ravens player to have gotten into a crash in recent weeks.
Then on Aug. 26, Harbaugh said inside linebacker Josh Ross had also been in a car accident, which caused him to miss practice that day. Ross entered concussion protocol as a result before eventually being cleared to return.
As for Wiggins, it’s unclear when he could be back on the field. Asked if the rookie’s injury is a week-to-week situation, Harbaugh said “I don’t know.”
“It’s a car accident,” he continued. “It doesn’t seem real serious. Beyond that, what do I know? I don’t know anything. I’m coaching the team. I’m trying to get ready to play. The doctors don’t even know.”
One thing Harbaugh does know is that Wiggins’ absence will affect the Ravens’ secondary rotation against the Raiders. Las Vegas is led on offense by three-time All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams and is coming off a 22-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in which quarterback Gardner Minshew II threw for 257 yards with one touchdown and one interception while being sacked four times.
“It’ll change it,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll get certain guys in there that are going to play, and they’ll play very well.”
Baltimore does have some depth at cornerback with Marlon Humphrey, Brandon Stephens, Jalyn Armour-Davis and rookie T.J. Tampa, and veteran Ka’dar Hollman could be elevated from the practice squad. The Ravens also have one of the deepest group of safeties in the league led by All-Pro Kyle Hamilton, Marcus Williams and Eddie Jackson.
“[It creates] stress just in terms because you always want what’s best for your brothers,” Armour-Davis told The Baltimore Sun. “So we’re always thinking about Nate’s health and going forward. … You always have to be prepared for someone to be down. You don’t expect someone to be down in that way, but things happen on the field so you have to make adjustments.
“So stress in more of keeping Nate in our prayers and making sure that he’s OK, more stress in terms of that rather than football. It’s not really about football in that situation.”
On the field, Wiggins’ injury could mean increased action for Armour-Davis, who played 14 snaps last week against Kansas City.
Wiggins, the 30th overall pick out of Clemson, played just 17 defensive snaps in last week’s season opener against the Chiefs. But the 21-year-old fared well as he lined up almost exclusively out wide and allowed just one catch for 1 yard while recording two tackles in Baltimore’s 27-20 loss.
The Ravens will also likely be without rookie outside linebacker Adisa Isaac, who is doubtful to play after being limited by a hamstring injury this week. Veteran outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who returned to practice Friday after suffering a fractured orbital bone against Kansas City, is questionable, though he said he’s “optimistic” he can play Sunday .
The Raiders ruled out starting defensive end Tyree Wilson (knee) and backup cornerback Decamerion Richardson (hamstring), while rookie guard Jackson Powers-Johnson (illness) is questionable.
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