Ravens Get Good News on Nate Wiggins, Marlon Humphrey Ahead of Preseason Opener
The Baltimore Ravens caught a break this week. After a pair of scary training camp moments left the secondary’s two best cornerbacks on the sideline, head coach Jesse Minter delivered the update everyone in Owings Mills was hoping for on Thursday: both Nate Wiggins and Marlon Humphrey are trending toward a return to practice as soon as next week.
“I would say both are trending very well to potentially be back next week,” Minter told reporters, according to FOX Sports and the Associated Press. “Both just dealing with a couple small things, I think. Got good reports on both of them and expect both of those guys back.”
It’s a meaningful sigh of relief for a Ravens defense that can’t afford another wave of secondary injuries after finishing last season near the bottom of the league against the pass.
What Happened to Wiggins and Humphrey
Wiggins went down about 45 minutes into Tuesday’s practice while covering rookie wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane in one-on-one drills. He couldn’t put weight on his left leg and had to be carted off, a moment that quieted the practice field fast. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported hours later that Wiggins had avoided structural damage — the first real exhale for a team that briefly feared the worst.
Humphrey’s injury came a day later. He walked off under his own power during Wednesday’s session with what the team has kept as an undisclosed issue, though he was accompanied off the field by Baltimore’s medical staff.
Losing either player for an extended stretch would have stung. Losing both at once, right as the calendar turns toward the regular season, would have been a genuine problem. Instead, Minter’s update Thursday pointed toward a short absence rather than a long one.
Neither Was Expected to Play Saturday Anyway
Here’s the part that softens the timing: even in full health, Wiggins and Humphrey likely weren’t playing extensive snaps in Saturday’s preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. Minter had already signaled earlier in the week that most of Baltimore’s regular starters — including two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson — would sit out or see limited action, with backup Tyler Huntley running the offense as first-time NFL play-caller Declan Doyle gets his initial live look as offensive coordinator.
So the injury news doesn’t cost the Ravens anything against Philadelphia. It matters for the bigger picture — training camp reps, chemistry building under a new coaching staff, and getting healthy before games start counting.
| Player | Injury | Date Injured | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nate Wiggins | Left leg (no structural damage) | Tuesday, Aug. 11 | Trending to return next week |
| Marlon Humphrey | Undisclosed | Wednesday, Aug. 12 | Trending to return next week |
Why It Matters for Baltimore’s Defense
Wiggins is currently considered the Ravens’ best cover corner, and Humphrey remains one of the more respected veteran voices in that room. A defense that finished tied for second-to-last in the NFL against the pass last season doesn’t have margin to work with a diminished cornerback room, even in August. Getting both players back on the field for joint practices and preseason reps — rather than nursing them through the opener and hoping for the best in Week 1 — is exactly the outcome Minter wants heading into his first year as a head coach.
Baltimore is looking for a sharper start in 2026 than it got a year ago. The Ravens blew a 40-25 fourth-quarter lead in their 2025 season opener, falling 41-40 to the Buffalo Bills, and never fully recovered the margin for error that collapse cost them. They missed the playoffs when rookie kicker Tyler Loop’s 44-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right in a 26-24, season-ending home loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18. That outcome, and an 8-9 finish, led to John Harbaugh’s dismissal in January and Minter’s hiring off the Los Angeles Chargers’ defensive staff.
Now Minter is trying to build his own identity with a defense that has the pieces to be elite when healthy. Keeping Wiggins and Humphrey on the field is a meaningful piece of that.
What’s Next
The Ravens open their three-game preseason slate Saturday at 7 p.m. ET against the Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore then travels to face the Minnesota Vikings on Aug. 22 before closing the preseason at home against the Washington Commanders on Aug. 28. The regular season begins Sunday, Sept. 13, on the road against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.
