Ravens Rookie Sees First Action in Ugly Thanksgiving Loss

The Baltimore Ravens suffered an embarrassing Thanksgiving defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals, but the loss was more the product of self-inflicted mistakes than standout play from their division rivals. Baltimore committed a season-high five turnovers, with Lamar Jackson responsible for three of them, marking his worst performance of the season.

One area where the Ravens showed consistency was in their offensive line struggles. Jackson was sacked three more times, continuing an alarming trend. That unit also introduced a new face, as rookie lineman Emery Jones Jr. logged his first NFL action a little more than a month after being activated from the Non-Football Injury List.

Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman Emery Jones — Mar 1, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Louisiana State offensive lineman Emery Jones (OL21) answers questions at a press conference during the 2025 NFL Combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Jones entered the game early in the first half, replacing Andrew Vorhees at left guard on the Ravens' second drive. Head coach John Harbaugh had said earlier in the week that a rotation at guard was under consideration involving Jones, and he followed through. However, Jones failed to make much of an impact in his 16 snaps.

While the rookie also committed a holding penalty, he did show flashes of the talent that led general manager Eric DeCosta to select him 91st overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Ronnie Stanley Showers Jones With High Praise

Jones started the season on the Non-Football Injury List after spending the summer, training camp, and preseason rehabbing a shoulder labrum injury suffered during the pre-draft process. His recovery took longer than expected, and the Ravens opened his practice window in October. He was active in Week 12 against the Jets for the first time last week, but didn't see any action.

Jones played 27% of Baltimore’s offensive snaps on Thanksgiving and delivered an uneven debut. His holding penalty overshadowed some positive moments, but he also produced a handful of impressive reps that hinted at long-term potential. Veteran offensive lineman Ronnie Stanley praised the LSU alum after the game, acknowledging both the mistake and the bright moments.

"He showed he can play in this league," Stanely said postgame.

Sighhhhhh 😮‍💨

We need to clone Emery Jones https://t.co/Aea0G7RpeR
— QadryIsmail (@IamQadryIsmail) November 28, 2025

When the Ravens drafted Jones, the organization envisioned a versatile role for him. Baltimore believed he could develop into a swing tackle and compete for snaps inside at guard. The team currently has needs at both guard spots, and Harbaugh has been open to rotating Jones alongside Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele, who have started every game this season but rank outside the top 40 guards, according to Pro Football Focus.

"I think everything's on the table," Harbaugh said. "We've done that before. We were probably one of the first teams that started rotating linemen, if you remember. That was kind of unheard of. When did we start – three, four, or five years ago? We did it a few times, so I am definitely not opposed to doing that."

If Jones can learn from his debut miscues and continue to build confidence, he has the potential to upgrade one of Baltimore’s guard spots or, at minimum, serve as a valuable depth piece in an emergency.

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