The Ravens placed five more players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, upping their total to 11 players from the 53-man roster on the list.
Safety Geno Stone, defensive tackle Justin Madubuike and linebackers Chris Board and Kristian Welch were all placed on the list Wednesday, as well as practice squad offensive tackle David Sharpe.
The newest additions put additional stress on a roster already depleted by injuries, putting in question their availability for Sunday's critical game in Cincinnati.
Stone and Madubuike are playing especially big roles right now on defense. With Chuck Clark also on the COVID-19 list, Stone started and played every snap against the Green Bay Packers and wore the defense's "green dot" communication helmet to relay the play-calls to his teammates.
The Ravens could likely turn to veteran and former Raven Tony Jefferson if Clark and Stone can't play, but it's too early to say whether that will be the case. DeShon Elliott is out for the rest of the year.
Madubuike has also stepped up with Calais Campbell dealing with a thigh injury and missing Sunday's game against Green Bay. Madubuike came up with a crucial sack of Aaron Rodgers on the Packers' final offensive drive.
Welch and Board are the Ravens' top backup inside linebackers behind starters Patrick Queen and Josh Bynes. If Welch and/or Board can't play, Malik Harrison would have to step up. Harrison hasn't seen any defensive snaps since returning from being shot in the leg.
The Ravens are also thin at outside linebacker with Justin Houston and Pernell McPhee both on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
One boost for the outside linebackers room is that Daelin Hayes returned to practice Wednesday. Hayes was first placed on injured reserve on Sept. 27 with an ankle injury, then had a clean-up knee procedure that delayed his return. The fifth-round pick out of Notre Dame flashed his potential in training camp and played in one game (four defensive snaps) in Detroit before suffering his injury.
Sharpe's placement on the list could also hurt considering he stepped in for Tyre Phillips (knee) last week and played well against the Packers. If Patrick Mekari (hand) can't return to action this week, the Ravens may have yet another starting right tackle.
Baltimore's 11 players on the COVID-19 list are Stone, Madubuike, Board, Welch, Clark, Houston, McPhee, cornerbacks Jimmy Smith and Chris Westry, wide receiver Sammy Watkins and center Trystan Colon.
The Ravens signed center Jimmy Murray to their practice squad, providing more depth on the interior offensive line. He was most recently on the Titans' practice squad and previously with the Jets and Chiefs. He played in two games for Kansas City in 2018.
