Ravens Granted Roster Exemption for International Player

The Baltimore Ravens can have 91 players on their roster.
Sep 17, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd (83) is tackled
Sep 17, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd (83) is tackled / Albert Cesare-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Ravens can hold 91 players on their roster — one more than the standard total — as part of a unique rule from the NFL.

As part of the NFL's International Pathway Program, teams can have an extra player on the roster if he is from outside of the United States. The Ravens applied and were granted an exception with third-year linebacker David Ojabo.

Ojabo, 23, was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, but moved to Aberdeen, Scotland when he was a kid. Then, his family moved to Blairstown, New Jersey, where he learned how to play football.

Ojabo was drafted by the Ravens with the No. 45 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, but the team knew he would be a long-term project considering he had torn his Achilles at his Pro Day. The recovery from the injury bled into his rookie year, allowing him to only play two games towards the end of the season.

In 2023, he was expected to earn a bigger role within the team's pass rush corps. He impressed the coaching staff and even drew a start in Week 3 against the Indianapolis Colts, but he tore his ACL early in the game, costing him the rest of the season.

Ojabo is expected to be fully healthy as he embarks on his third NFL season, and he could become a big factor for the Ravens defense.

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Jeremy Brener

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.