Perriman Missed Practice After Returning Last Week
Wide receiver Breshad Perriman's return to the practice field was short lived.
The Ravens' first-round pick was a limited practice participant last Thursday and Friday, but felt discomfort in his knee during pre-game warmups on Sunday, and was not back on the field for Monday evening's practice.
Last Thursday was the first time Perriman practiced in eight weeks after suffering a knee sprain/strain on the first day of training camp. There was hope that Perriman may have a shot at playing Thursday night against the Steelers.
The Ravens are in need of a deep threat in their offense as opposing defenses haven't had to be too worried about big-play threats. Perriman's speed on the field would immediately change how defenses have to approach Baltimore.
The Ravens also haven't had a wide receiver step up opposite Steve Smith Sr., who has more than twice the number of targets than any other player on the team.
Quarterback Joe Flacco didn't have much patience in talking about Perriman's potential return. He said he didn't throw to Perriman last week.
"It's not something I'm going to worry about until I know for sure that he's coming back," Flacco said. "Just tell me when he's coming back. Other than that, don't really bother me with it because it's not something we can worry about at this point."
Gillmore Misses Practice With Calf Injury
Starting tight end Crockett Gillmore sat out Monday's practice with a calf injury, an unnerving development considering how integral he's been to the passing game thus far.
Gillmore is tied with Smith for the most touchdowns (two) and has the second-most receiving yards (151) and third-most receptions (10) on the team. He's been a big threat in the red zone.
Gillmore got off to a good start in the first half of Sunday's game with three catches for 40 yards, but he was pulled from action in the second half. It's unclear when he suffered his injury.
If Gillmore can't suit up Thursday, the Ravens will have to rely on rookies Maxx Williams and Nick Boyle. Williams caught three passes for 44 yards against the Bengals and Boyle made two snags for 19 yards, including his first career catch that included a hurdle over a defender.
Monroe Returns To Action
The Ravens might have their starting left tackle back as Eugene Monroe returned to the field for the first time since suffering a concussion on the opening series of the first game in Denver.
Monroe was still limited in practice, but just being back in action is a promising step.
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin said on Monday that he expects Monroe to play Thursday.
Monroe would step in for second-year tackle James Hurst, who has had some difficulty containing speed rushers around the edge. The Ravens run game could also use Monroe, which would again give the Ravens their starting five offensive linemen from last season.
Canty Still Sidelined
Veteran defensive end Chris Canty is still sidelined by a calf injury.
Canty missed Sunday's game against the Bengals, but the defensive line held up, limiting the Bengals' strong rushing duo of Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill to just 70 yards on 25 carries.
Lawrence Guy started in Canty's place alongside nose tackle Brandon Williams, who received Pro Football Focus' highest grade (plus-7.6) of anybody in the NFL on Sunday.