Kaepernick interest uncertain
Harbaugh does not know if team will have a rep at QB’s workout
Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday that he didn’t know if the team would have a representative on Saturday at free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s private workout in front of NFL teams.
Kaepernick, who has not played since the 2016 season, will conduct a workout in Atlanta for interested teams. The 32-yearold last played for the San Francisco 49ers.
In February, Kaepernick settled a grievance with the league for an undisclosed amount, along with former 49er teammate Eric Reid. Kaepernick and Reid accused NFL owners of colluding to keep them out of the league after they knelt during the playing of the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice.
Kaepernick started his peaceful protest during the 2016 preseason, and it became a polarizing topic across the NFL. President Donald Trump expressed his displeasure for NFL players protesting, saying in 2017 that the league should fire any players who kneel during the national anthem. Days after his comments, about a dozen Ravens knelt during the anthem before their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
The Ravens explored the possibility of signing Kaepernick in the summer of 2017 when former Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was sidelined for all of training camp and the preseason with a back injury. The team reached out to former and current players, fans and sponsors about the decision.
The team ultimately decided not to sign Kaepernick, and Flacco returned to practice days before the regular-season opener.
Former Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said the team planned to sign Kaepernick but reversed course after a “racial gesture” from radio host and Kaepernick’s girlfriend, Nessa Diab.
Diab posted a tweet comparing Lewis
and Ravens owner Steve Biscotti to Samuel L. Jackson’s character as a house slave and Leonardo Decaprio’s role as a racist master in “Django Unchained.” The Ravens did not respond at the time to Lewis’ assertion.
Jackson honored
Quarterback Lamar Jackson was named the Week 10 AFC Offensive Player of the Week. The honor is Jackson’s second in as many weeks and third this season.
In three quarters, Jackson completed 15 of 17 passes for 223 yards, three touchdowns and a 158.3 quarterback rating in Sunday’s 49-13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. He rushed for 65 yards and one touchdown.
Jackson, in his 16th regular-season start, became the second player in NFL history to post multiple games with a perfect passer rating in a single season.
Jackson becomes the first player to be named Offensive Player of the Week in consecutive weeks since Patrick Mahomes and Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 1 and 2 of the 2018 season.
Veteran additions
Veteran defensive tackle Domata Peko was waiting at home in Calabasas, California, for the right situation to extend his 14-year career. He bid his time by coaching his son’s high school football team and jumping into individual drills with the teenagers to stay in shape.
Peko worked out for the Ravens weeks ago and the team had intentions of signing him but Peko declined, explaining he was searching for “the perfect fit.” As he watched the Ravens win five consecutive games, led by prolific second-year quarterback Lamar Jackson, Peko wondered if he had let a golden chance pass by him.
“Just watching them play and how it’s exciting it’s been, I was like, ‘Man, did I make a mistake?’” Peko said. “I prayed about it. I felt like God opened the door again for me. Once he opened that door again, I said I got to go.”
The Ravens’ rising profile (as well as defensive tackle Michael Pierce’s ankle injury) were enough to convince Peko. When the Ravens called on Monday for the second time, he couldn’t refuse.
The Ravens announced the signing of Peko, along with defensive tackle Justin Ellis, adding depth to a defensive line that looked vulnerable in the wake of the injury Pierce suffered Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
“I’m super excited to be here in Baltimore and make a run,” Peko said Wednesday, speaking to reporters for the first time. “That’s why I’m here, to help the defense out, as a 14-year vet, as a nose man. I feel like I can come right in and do my job and do my part to help us win.”
Pierce misses practice
Pierce (ankle) was one of five Ravens who didn’t practice Wednesday. Harbaugh on Monday said Pierce is “day-to-day” and that there is a chance he plays this Sunday against the Houston Texans.
Cornerback Brandon Carr (non-injury related), running back Mark Ingram (noninjury related), cornerback Jimmy Smith (NIR) and safety Earl Thomas III (NIR/ knee) also did not practice.
Rookie wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown (ankle) and wide receiver Chris Moore (thumb) were limited.
The Texans, returning from their bye, had every player practice. Six players were limited: linebacker Dylan Cole (knee), wide receiver Will Fuller V (hamstring), safety Tashaun Gipson Sr. (back/wrist), guard/ tackle Tytus Howard (knee), cornerback Bradley Roby (hamstring) and tackle Laremy Tunsil (shoulder).