According to the report, the Ravens are releasing the former Pro Bowl pass rusher with the goal of re-signing him to the practice squad

The Baltimore Ravens are making a roster change ahead of Thursday night’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. According to ESPN, the team is waiving former Pro Bowl pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue in hopes of bringing him back to the practice squad.

The Ravens now have an open roster spot that they may fill with running back Keaton Mitchell, who could make his season debut against the Bengals after missing the first eight games recovering from a knee injury last year. Last year, Mitchell was a freshman and rushed for 396 yards (and averaged a whopping 5.9 yards per carry) before getting injured.

The Ravens are taking a risk with Ngakoue as they cannot re-sign him until he clears waivers. But that won’t happen if a team decides to sign the nine-year veteran first.

Ngakoue was a Pro Bowler with the Jaguars in 2017 and has 1.5 sacks in five games with the Ravens this season. Ngakoue, who has played for five different franchises since leaving the Jaguars (his original team) in 2020, is returning from an ankle injury he suffered late in the 2023 season as a member of the Chicago Bears.

The 29-year-old has 70.5 sacks, 21 forced fumbles and 72 tackles for loss in his career. He has recorded at least eight sacks in a season seven times, most recently in 2022 as a member of the Indianapolis Colts.