Tag: David Ojabo

Is David Ojabo nearing the end of his time in Baltimore?

Ojabo has not even made the stat sheet since the Oct. 6 win at Cincinnati, when he recorded one solo tackle. 

David Ojabo got off to a great start this season, recording a sack in the season opener at Super Bowl champion Kansas City. However, things quickly went downhill for him since he’s had a few healthy scratches from the gameday roster this season.

Even with all the pass-rushing woes that the Ravens have had this season, he’s still not getting opportunities. Ojabo has not even made the stat sheet since the Oct. 6 win at Cincinnati, when he recorded one solo tackle.

For the season, he has just five tackles (three solo) and the one aforementioned sack. Right now, it looks like he doesn’t fit into defensive coordinator Zach Orr’s plans. His current contract expires at the end of next season but given how far down the depth chart he is, one has to wonder if he’ll even be back for 2025.

His days with the Ravens may ultimately be numbered, and that’s rather unfortunate, given all the terrible misfortune that has dominated his career thus far.

Ojabo tore his Achilles at his Michigan Wolverines Pro Day, a few weeks before the 2022 draft. For the 2022 season, he played just two games, totaling one tack, a sack, and one forced fumble.

A serious injury struck him again in 2023, as he required surgery to repair a partially torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament. The Nigerian finished the 2023 season with six tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble in three games. He is one of two Michigan Men on the Ravens roster, Practice Squad DL Chris Wormley being the other.

Michigan Wolverines-Baltimore Ravens connections have been very prevalent in recent years. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh’s brother Jim was the head coach in Ann Arbor from 2015 up until last season.

He was a star quarterback for the program in the 1980s, finishing third in Heisman voting and winning Big Ten Player of the Year in 1986. Mike MacDonald was on the defensive coaching staff in Baltimore from 2014 to 2020 before taking the Defensive Coordinator job at Michigan in 2021.

After one season, he returned to Baltimore and assumed the same position with the Ravens for the next two seasons, ahead of his move into the Seattle Seahawks head coaching vacancy this past offseason. His successor at the Michigan DC position was Jesse Minter, a former Ravens defensive backs coach.

Michigan-NFL ties run deep on various levels, and according to a report in RG, the program is now pushing to move one of its road games next season to an NFL venue. The Wolverines’ current DC, Don “Wink” Martindale, held the same position in Baltimore from 2018-21. So that now makes it three straight Michigan D. Coordinators who had, or would later have, the same gig with the Ravens.

So even if Ojabo and the Ravens are to part ways (according to Spotrac, his salary cap hit for 2025 would be about $2.5 million), the Michigan-Ravens pipeline will persist. With all the defensive coaching connections between the two teams, plus all the top NFL Draft prospects currently in Ann Arbor, you’ll see more guys who once wore maize and blue don the purple and black.

Ravens vs. Bengals: Top photos from Baltimore’s 41-38 win in overtime at Paycor Stadium

We’re looking at the top photos from the Baltimore Ravens 41-38 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in overtime at Paycor Stadium in Week 5

Lamar Jackson and company rallied from a late fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime with a 56-yard field goal from Justin Tucker. In overtime, the Bengals recovered a Jackson fumble but could not win it after Evan McPherson missed a 56-yard field goal of his win.

At one point in the fourth quarter, Joe Burrow was 27-for-34 for 353 yards and five touchdown passes, while former college teammate Ja’Marr Chase had nine catches for 174 yards and two scores.

Burrow finished 30-39 passing for 392 yards, five touchdowns, and one costly interception. His MVP counterpart, Lamar Jackson, was 26-42 passing for 348 yards and four touchdowns. Jackson also had 12 carries for 56 yards on the day.

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Joe Burrow dominates early, but Ravens rally for a 41-38 win over Bengals in overtime

Joe Burrow dominates early, but Ravens rally for a 41-38 win over Bengals in overtime

After a week of pundits and experts questioning Joe Burrow’s demise, the former LSU star put the NFL back on notice with a dominant, five-touchdown performance against the Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium.

Still, it wasn’t enough, as Lamar Jackson and company rallied from a late fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime with a 56-yard field goal from Justin Tucker. In overtime, the Bengals recovered a Lamar Jackosn fumble but were unable to win it after Evan McPherson missed a 56-yard field goal of his win.

Baltimore used a big Derrick Henry run to get into field goal position, and Justin Tucker’s 24 field goals gave the Ravens their third straight win.

At one point in the fourth quarter, Burrow was 27-for-34 for 353 yards and five touchdown passes, while former college teammate Ja’Marr Chase had nine catches for 174 yards and two scores against a Ravens secondary full of first-round picks and high-paid defenders.

Burrow finished 30-39 passing for 392 yards, five touchdowns, and one costly interception. His MVP counterpart, Lamar Jackson, was 26-42 passing for 348 yards and four touchdowns. Jackson also had 12 carries for 56 yards on the day.

After a slow start, Derrick Henry finished things with a bang, rushing for 91 yards on 15 carries, with one rushing touchdown.

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Ravens vs. Raiders: Top photos from Week 2 matchup at M&T Bank Stadium

The Ravens have gone from a Super Bowl hopeful, to a team searching for answers after a shocking 26-23 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday.

The loss dropped Baltimore to 0-2 on the season, while creating more discourse centered on the offensive line, secondary, run-pass ratios, and Lamar Jackson. The disappointing loss also creates something of a hotseat for head coach John Harbaugh with a difficult matchup against the Cowboys looming.

Here are the top photos from Week 2.

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WATCH: David Ojabo records his first sack in season opener vs. the Chiefs

Baltimore Ravens pass rusher David Ojabo records his first sack in season opener vs. the Kansas City Chiefs

David Ojabo has battled injuries through his first two years in the NFL and entered the 2024 regular season needing to be productive and available.

The former Michigan pass rusher got off to a roaring start, ending a Chiefs drive with a sack on third down.

https://Twitter.com/Ravens/status/1831864510891618676

Ojabo underwent surgery to repair a partially torn ACL last November and is recovering. Ojabo finished with six tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble for the season.

It was the second straight season that Ojabo has dealt with a severe injury. He tore his Achilles at his Michigan Pro Day before the 2022 draft.

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Ravens vs. Packers: Top photos from preseason finale at Lambeau Field

We’re looking at the top photos from the Baltimore Ravens preseason loss to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field

It’s only the preseason, but the Ravens will head towards the 53-man roster cutdown date with a sour taste after a 30-7 loss to the Packers at Lambeau Field on Saturday afternoon. Josh Johnson was 5-7 for 71 yards and one passing touchdown, while Michael Pratt led Green Bay in passing, going 8-12 for 80 yards and one touchdown. The Packers were dominant on the ground, amassing 193 rushing yards, as Ellis Merriweather led all ball carriers with 16 yards for 74 yards. The Packers held the ball for nearly ten minutes longer than the Ravens and out-gained Baltimore by 326 yards to 177 for John Harbaugh’s bunch. With Baltimore now turning its attention toward the Chiefs, here’s an instant analysis of the loss. ***

Ravens vs. Falcons: Top photos from Baltimore’s 13-12 win in preseason Week 2

We’re looking at the top photos from the Baltimore Ravens 13-12 win over the Atlanta Falcons in the preseason Week 2 matchup

Backup quarterback Josh Johnson was perfect on the afternoon, and rookie Emory Jones added a 56-yard touchdown throw to Dayton Wade in the second half to lift the Baltimore Ravens to a 13-12 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium.  The Ravens snapped a three-game preseason losing streak, while Atlanta had 343 yards of total offense but was 4-13 on third downs. Baltimore had another putrid day on the ground, rushing for 71 yards on 30 attempts.  With the team set to start preparation for the preseason finale, here are the top photos from the win over Atlanta. ***

Ravens pass rusher David Ojabo is finally healthy enough to stack practices, get reps

According to Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr, David Ojabo is finally fully healthy enough to practice regularly. 

According to Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr, David Ojabo is finally fully healthy enough to practice regularly.

Ojabo, the Ravens’ second-round draft pick in 2022, has only played in three NFL games due to having suffered a torn Achilles and a ruptured ACL.

He did not feature in the preseason-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, but Orr believes his return is coming soon.

“He’s finally healthy enough to stack days in practice,” said Orr.

“All he needed to go was get the reps, and he’s getting great reps out here, so I’m excited for him.

“We know what type of talent he is. He’s strong, big, he’s fast, athletic, he’s mean. He’s everything you look for in an outside linebacker.”

While Ojabo might possess all the tangible assets required to succeed in the National Football League, health, simply put, has eluded him.

Orr summed it up perfectly: “God willing he stays healthy, he’s going to have a great year for us.”

 

David Ojabo’s status remains a mysterious ahead of Ravens second preseason game

David Ojabo’s status remains a mysterious ahead of Ravens second preseason matchup

David Ojabo missed Friday night’s preseason loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, as coach John Harbaugh said the pass rusher has still not been medically cleared to play.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that he hasn’t missed any practice at training camp thus far. One would assume that his return isn’t far away, but then again, you just can’t make assumptions about Ojabo’s health status.

The Ravens took a major flier on the pass-rushing specialist when they selected him in the second round of the 2022 draft, despite his suffering an Achilles tear at Michigan’s Pro Day.

Baltimore knew that his rookie season would ultimately be a redshirt, but he was healthy enough to appear in the final two games that season.

More injury calamity struck in 2023 when he suffered an injury in week three that was later revealed to be a torn ACL. There was hope that he might be able to return at some point last season, but he never did.

There was talk that he would be fully healthy again this spring, but then Ojabo wasn’t ready for minicamp and missed out.

With this kind of track record, it’s easy to be skeptical of any stated timetable for his return. However, Ojabo is a massively talented player, and his NFL story has yet to be written.

Hopefully, after two years of luck against him, he’ll finally see fortune in his favor. When healthy, he has all the potential to be a significant contributor to the team.

Top photos from Ravens 16-13 loss to Eagles in preseason opener

We’re looking at the top photos from the Baltimore Ravens 16-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the preseason opener at M&T Bank Stadium

The Ravens returned to the field for live game action for the first time since their heartbreaking, 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game.

Baltimore hosted Philadelphia at M&T Bank Stadium, with both teams on similar arcs, and championship paths. Starting quarterback Lamar Jackson sat out along with key starters on both sides of the football.

Eagles kicker Jake Elliott made a 49-yard field goal with no time remaining to give the Philadelphia Eagles a 16-13 victory after Baltimore quarterback Emory Jones — who had just entered the game — was sacked and fumbled on the next play.

The recovery by Patrick Johnson gave Elliott his final opportunity of the night.

With Baltimore set to start preparation for the Falcons in the second week of the preseason, we’re looking at the top photos from Friday night.

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