The Baltimore Ravens’ secondary took another hit on Saturday as Nate Wiggins left the preseason match against the Eagles with a shoulder injury. However, the MRI gave the fans reason to be hopeful about his presence on the defense when the regular season starts.
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NFL Insider Jordan Schultz took to X(formerly Twitter) to share the assuring news. As per the scans, Wiggins’s shoulder injury isn’t as serious as previously believed. He is expected to be ready when the Ravens open their season on the 5th of September against the Chiefs at Arrowhead.
Source: An MRI revealed that #Ravens rookie CB Nate Wiggins’ shoulder injury is not as serious as initially feared — and he should be ready to play Week 1.
Wiggins, the 1st-rounder out of Clemson, was excellent in his NFL debut Friday night, making a number of impressive plays. pic.twitter.com/tMDb2kRktO
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 11, 2024
Despite the setback, the rookie impressed many in his limited outing. Aside from making three tackles, he also made some clutch plays, particularly in the 3rd quarter.
Kenny Pickett made a screen pass to Nichols but just as the RB was about to take off on the open field, Wiggins made an explosive tackle, stopping the rusher for a one-yard loss. This was the moment when he hurt his shoulder.
The former Clemson CB had also defended three passes on the opening drive and provided sticky coverage throughout his limited time on the field.
In the past two weeks, the Ravens have suffered a few injuries on the defensive side. Yesterday, LB Chris Board suffered a concussion, their 2024 7th-round safety Sanoussi Kane suffered a stinger in his neck and David Ojabo remained out with a knee injury.
T.J. Tampa has been out since 21st July after undergoing hernia surgery and will be out for a few more weeks. Trayvon Mullen has a subluxation of his shoulder and will miss a few weeks.
The Ravens have been riddled with injuries that have cost them real games in the past. Star QB Lamar Jackson is also injury-prone. However, he seems to be doing everything in his power to stay fit and healthy.
Jackson doing his bit to lessen Ravens’ worries
Lamar turned a few heads when he missed a few weeks of the OTAs and then came back slimmed down. He lost 20 pounds in a few months, becoming leaner, fitter, and more agile.
The 2x MVP’s sudden transformation came on because he didn’t like what he saw in a video from two years ago. He pointed out that he looked out of shape and believed he was a bit slower in his running because of it.
He stated that speed wasn’t his sole motivation for losing weight. The Ravens quarterback believes shedding excess fat will enhance his mobility and endurance.
A faster, leaner Lamar would undoubtedly improve Baltimore’s run game, but the Ravens aim to reduce his carries as they signed Derrick Henry to split the workload. Since his debut, the franchise has built its ground attack around him and he had to carry that load. Jackson, for one, seems ready to take on the regular season head-on and prepared for another MVP-calibre season.
