Ravens All Pro Makes Long-Awaited Return to Practice

Alexander's last practice was on August 9 as the Ravens have been taking an overcautious approach to managing the knee that he had surgery on at the end of last season when he was still a member of the Green Bay Packers.

On Monday, head coach coach John Harbaugh told reporters that he would need to see Alexander practice later in the week in order for him to feel confident about his or any other key player who hasn't been on the field for an extended period of time being able to make their respective 2025 debuts against the Bills.

"If they haven't practiced, they're unlikely to play, unless they've been playing all the way up to that point, then maybe they'll play," Harbaugh said. "I probably won't tell you for sure unless I feel like it's obvious that everybody knows already. So, that's where we're at with that."

Earlier in the day, NFL Network's Ian Rapport reported that fourth-year tight end Isaiah Likely is unlikely to suit up as he continues to recover from surgery on a small fracture in his foot that he suffered even earlier in August. Five-time Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard also remains sidelined with a soft tissue injury that has kept him off the practice field since August 14.

Alexander returning to the practice field bodes well for his odds to be available for the Ravens in Week 1 while the status of Likely and Ricard remain up in the air. He joined the team during mandatory minicamp and is slated to be a key piece in a secondary that features four additional former first round picks and two fellow All Pros in cornerback Marlon Humphrey and safety Kyle Hamilton.

"[They have the] talent levels, but they don't miss on the football character of the guys that come in here [from] top to bottom," Ravens senior defensive assistant and secondary coach Chuck Pagano said last Tuesday. "[General manager Eric DeCosta] and the personnel guys bring in a great group of guys that love football. Their football character is off the charts."