The Baltimore Ravens activated starting linebacker Matthew Judon from the team’s reserve/COVID-19 list, the team announced Thursday.
Judon was one of seven Ravens players who were placed on Baltimore’s COVID-19 list on Tuesday because, as NFL Network reported, all had come into close contact with cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who announced his positive test on Monday.
Per the Ravens, Judon was a full participant at practice Thursday.
The other six Ravens, not including Humphrey — who remains ineligible to play this weekend, can be activated as early as Saturday for the team’s walk-through before possibly traveling to Indianapolis ahead of Baltimore’s game against the Colts this Sunday, based on the league’s contact tracing protocols.
The other players still on the Ravens’ reserve/COVID-19 list include fellow linebackers Patrick Queen, Tyus Bowser, L.J. Fort and Malik Harrison along with safety DeShon Elliott and cornerback Terrell Bonds.
High-risk contacts are required under NFL rules to isolate for five days but can return after that if they have no symptoms and test negative for the virus. The Ravens did not reveal why Judon was able to return before the others, but his activation hints that his close contact with Humphrey must have occurred prior to the others currently held out of action.
The 28-year-old Judon, who made his first Pro Bowl after last season, has two sacks and 18 tackles in seven games this season. He was ejected from the team’s most recent game, a 28-24 home loss to Pittsburgh last Sunday, after making contact with an official during a confrontation.
Separately the Colts announced Thursday that a team staff member has tested positive for COVID-19. The employee is self-quarantining but the Colts practiced normally on Thursday.