All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley (ankle) will be playing in the Ravens' Sunday Night Football game versus the Bengals, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported Saturday.
This would mark Stanley's first game action since the 2021 season opener, and just his second time taking the field since fracturing his ankle almost two years ago.
The fracture occurred in Week 8 of the 2020 season, just days after the tackle had signed a five-year, $98.75 million contract extension with Baltimore, and he did not return for the remainder of the season. Then in Stanley's first game back to open last season, he again injured his ankle, and had season-ending surgery a month later.
Stanley came into this year's training camp still recovering from that surgery, and was therefore placed on the physically unable to perform list in July. However, he passed his physical examination only a month later and there were hopes that he'd be ready to go as early as Week 1. But those predictions did not pan out, as Stanley has not yet played in a regular-season game in 2022, only now being considered ready enough to get back on the field for Week 5.
The former 2016 first-round pick was outstanding before his injury woes, being named First-Team All-Pro and making his first Pro Bowl in 2019, his last full season. A homegrown Ravens talent, he developed into a shutdown left tackle in both pass protection and run blocking, protecting Lamar Jackson during the quarterback's MVP-winning season that year.
After two seasons spent largely on the sidelines, Stanley is set to make his return to M&T Stadium and could prove an important piece for a Baltimore squad that is looking to rebound from its Week 4 late-game loss to the Buffalo Bills.
The Ravens and Bengals kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET on Sunday.
