The Baltimore Ravens are in trouble for many reasons. They’re down to 1-3. Lamar Jackson has been sidelined due to a hamstring injury. And to make it worse, the defense isn’t helping much either. The Ravens’ defense has allowed 16 touchdowns so far, and to make it trickier, multiple defensive players have been sidelined due to injuries, including Roquan Smith, who’s dealing with a tweaked hamstring.

Which is exactly why the Ravens hosted a former All-Pro linebacker, Eric Kendricks, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The signs were clear: John Harbaugh is in dire need of defensive help, and he’s making moves. But fast forward to now, and Pelissero added another layer to Kendricks’ visit to Baltimore. Turns out, the 33-year-old has declined an offer to join the Ravens’ practice squad.

“Eric Kendricks declined an offer to start out on Baltimore’s practice squad and is headed home this morning,” Pelissero reported on Wednesday, October 1. A former second-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2015, Kendricks has started 142 career games in the NFL. After spending his first eight seasons in Minnesota, the LB had a brief stint with the Los Angeles Chargers as well as the Dallas Cowboys.

Kendricks spent the 2024 season with the Cowboys, where he totalled 138 tackles (71 solo), three sacks, and two interceptions in 15 starts. However, heading into the 2025 offseason, he couldn’t draw any attention. The crystal? A shoulder injury that he sustained last season. Per Pelissero, a shoulder surgery kept Kendricks off the field for the entire offseason, but he’s come out of it in peak condition and fully committed to extending his career.

For once, the timing made sense from the Ravens’ perspective. After all, John Harbaugh and his crew have already been hit with a wave of defensive injuries just a month into the season. However, the 33-year-old doesn’t seem to show up in Baltimore without a defined role on the 53-man roster.

John Harbaugh lacks defensive strength on the team

Seven players. That’s the current count of injuries weighing down the Ravens’ defense. Some are already ruled out for Week 5, or worse… the rest of the season, while others remain questionable heading into the matchup against the Houston Texans. At the center of it all is Roquan Smith, the heartbeat of Baltimore’s defense.

Smith was ruled out of the Week 4 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs after the LB tweaked his hamstring in the first half. For the time being, Smith is expected to miss multiple weeks. But he isn’t alone. The Ravens’ secondary is bruised as well. Cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Nate Wiggins also exited the field in the same game.

The Ravens lost Humphrey in the first half to a calf injury, while Wiggins went down with an elbow injury in the fourth quarter. All three of them suited up against the Chiefs after Travis Jones couldn’t play due to a knee injury. On top of that, Baltimore has also placed Nnamdi Madubuike (neck) and Broderick Washington Jr. (ankle) on IR.

Last and hopefully least, linebacker Kyle Van Noy (hamstring) has also missed his second straight game. The writing is on the wall: With seven players injured, John Harbaugh has a lot on his plate. While Eric Kendricks seems like a good option, sure. But we’ll see how things turn out. Until then, have a look at the Week 5 status of the seven injured players:

• Roquan Smith: Reportedly out
• Marlon Humphrey: Expected to miss at least Week 5
• Nate Wiggins: Questionable
• Travis Jones: Questionable
• Nnamdi Madubuike: Out for the rest of the season
• Broderick Washington Jr: Out for Week 5
• Kyle Van Noy: Questionable