The Baltimore Ravens struggled to find a commanding lead against their rival Cincinnati Bengals to open Thursday night's Week 10 matchup. They also lost one of their top players just before halftime, with star safety Kyle Hamilton suffering a non-contact ankle injury while attempting to defend a Joe Burrow pass.
Fans initially worried on social media, upon seeing replay of Hamilton slipping on the M&T Bank Stadium grass, that the All-Pro may have suffered a serious injury, such as a torn Achilles. The Ravens quickly ruled Hamilton questionable to return for Thursday's game, however, assigning the issue to his ankle. They then ruled him out midway into the third quarter.
Head coach John Harbaugh downplayed the severity of the injury after the game -- a wild 35-34 win for Baltimore -- telling reporters Hamilton suffered an ankle sprain that's "not super serious." He didn't offer a return time frame.
Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton just went down and it does not look good. pic.twitter.com/L8YAcBhJDo
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulli) November 8, 2024
Hamilton had four tackles before exiting the field under his own power. He entered Thursday's contest widely considered one of the NFL's top defensive backs, with five pass breakups, five quarterback hits and three tackles for loss on the 2024 season. The Ravens have also deployed him at multiple positions in recent years, including linebacker and nickel cornerback.
Baltimore's backups safeties include former Chicago Bears starter Eddie Jackson and fourth-year reserve Ar'Darius Washington, who has four pass deflections and one interception this year.
