Ravens CB Jimmy Smith Still Not Practicing

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith is still recovering from an ankle injury and has still not been able to return to practice.

Smith was forced from practice on Aug. 6 with a low-ankle sprain. He was initially expected to miss one to two weeks, but Ravens coach John Harbaugh said the injury is still not healed.

As a result, Smith's availability for the regular-season opener in Las Vegas could be in jeopardy.

“Good, but not as good as we initially thought," Harbaugh said. "It turned out to be a little more serious than we initially thought. So, he’s not practicing this week. [I’m] very hopeful that he’ll practice next week. He’ll be back, if not next week, [then] very early in the season. It just didn’t come around as quickly as I think they thought it was going to in terms of his ankle. But it’s an ankle sprain, just a little slower recovery than they anticipated.”

Smith is a lock for the Ravens' 53-man roster, but the team could move him to injured reserve, which would keep him inactive until at least Week 4. The Ravens then could activate one of their younger cornerbacks.

In December, Smith agreed to a one-year contract extension with the Ravens through the 2021 season. The deal is reportedly worth up to $5 million and keeps a veteran, home-grown player on the roster.

In 2020, Smith played in 11 games (five starts), registering 27 tackles (23 solo), one sack, two tackles for a loss, one quarterback hit and one pass defended for Baltimore, which had the NFL’s second-best scoring defense (18.9 ppg) and second-best third-down defense (34.0%).

Over his 10-year career, Smith has produced 351 tackles (304 solo), 14 interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), two fumble returns (one returned for a 47-yard touchdown), and 71 passed defended